Supply/demand=price

THE FIRST half of the year went by with mostly unfavorable news; the second half began with positive developments. The pessimism that once surrounded the tourism sector is giving way to optimism. Record-breaking air traffic, where a total of 100 planes land daily, began once again as Russia lifted the travel ban on June 21.

Turkey then quickly jumped up on the holiday reservation list to third as Germany and other countries lifted the travel warning against it. The UK is expected to join Germany and others in the next few days.

Russia, Germany and the UK are the three major markets for Turkish tourism. These countries have an impact in their respective regions because of the sheer volume of their travelers. Tourism traffic spiked as these three source markets came alive and the increases are continuing day by day. This movement has dispelled the pessimism in the sector and now everyone has a smile on their face. However, the end of pessimism and beginning of smiles should not lead to a relaxation in the public administration or the sector.

The steps to ease restrictions by Turkey and tourism source countries are good but it doesn’t mean that the pandemic is over.

The measures taken at tourism facilities and other areas should be closely watched because strict adherence to these measures and rules plays an important role in making everyone smile.

Since tourists who visited Turkey last year followed the measures uncompromisingly, they returned to their homes without having any pandemic-related issues. Last year was a reference point for Turkey.

Another thing to pay attention to during the era of optimism is prices. During the period when Russia implemented a flight ban, reservations were postponed rather than cancelled. Those reservations were made at very cheap prices. Now the market is open, there is almost an explosion of demand. It is natural for prices to rise as demand rises. At this point, tour operators and the accommodation sector should be realistic.