German demand for Turkey holidays increases

BERLIN

German tour operators' demand for Turkey holidays began to increase again, said the head of a leading tourism association in Germany on Monday.

Norbert Fiebig, the president of the Berlin-based German Travel Association (DRV), told Anadolu Agency that last-minute reservations for Turkey holidays had increased, according to information he received from German tour operators.

Fiebig confirmed the information that Turkey had seen an increase in the number of last-minute bookings, particularly during the summer and fall of 2017.

He mentioned the great price-performance ratio and the availability of capacity as the two major elements that had contributed to the increase in demand.

“Turkey also offers an amazing range of variety suitable for all tastes,” he added.

Fiebig also said that apart from its beautiful sunny beaches dotted with so many hotel resorts, Turkey had many great cultural sites to visit while also offering cycling and hiking tours, which was another reason that encouraged German families to choose Turkey in addition to the perfect price-performance ratio.

Turkey’s all-inclusive package holidays in the country’s coastal regions were another important reason for German tourists to come, he added.

A total of 30.37 million foreign nationals entered Turkey in the first 11 months of 2017, according to data from the Migration Management Directorate General examined by Anadolu Agency.

In 2016, 24.7 million foreign nationals visited Turkey, and in the first 11 months of this year this figure rose by more than 5 million, the data showed.

According to the data, Russians were the number one nationality visiting Turkey, followed by Germans and Iranians.

Reporting by Erbil Basay:Writing by Handan Kazanci