Hotelbeds Group is reporting a 40 per cent increase in total transaction value of Turkey hotel reservations in FY2017/18, which saw the troubled destination rise from 11th to ninth most booked in EMEA for the group.
The recovery has been led by a sharp return in the number of British travellers, who have become the largest source of bookings via the Hotelbeds Group platform, including through the recently acquired Tourico Holidays and GTA.
Germany is the second top feeder market, while in third place is Saudi Arabia, which has seen “strong increase” in bookings since the beginning of October.
The rebound in interest in the destination has led to the group reviewing its portfolio of hotels, with plans now to contract a further 400 hotels in the coming months, ready for the upcoming summer season.
Additionally, bookings made through the Hotelbeds Group platform have also revealed a preference for urban destinations, with Istanbul and the Antalya region as the most in-demand locations.
Hotelbeds also observed recovery in both average prices and hotel occupancy rates, with the average rate per night staying stable at around 50 euros (US$59.30) and total roomnights growing in line with total transaction value at around 40 per cent as well.
Sam Turner, responsible for sales and sourcing of Hotelbeds Group, commented: “Since the beginning of the new financial year on October 1, we have noticed a clear recovery of Turkey as a destination for all of our group’s businesses
“We feel this is due to the general travelling public feeling that stability has once again returned to the country. However, other source markets such as Saudi Arabia and Iran have grown strongly, and whilst the numbers are much smaller we have nonetheless seen a doubling in the number of Spaniards reserving hotels for the destination.”
