The diplomatic steps Turkey has recently taken as part of the normalization of relations with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are reflecting on business as well. Accordingly, Turkish tourism representatives expect a high number of tourists from both countries. The sector has noted that the luxurious rooms of hotels in major touristic cities in Turkey are already almost fully booked.
According to the Turkish Daily Sabah, the occupancy rate of hotels, especially in the luxury segment, is expected to reach 90% in May, with the stimulated demand. It will then exceed 90% between June and September in Turkey’s Black Sea provinces – particularly preferred by Gulf tourists.
Sururi Çorabatır, head of the Turkish Hoteliers Federation (TÜROFED), stated that the recent diplomatic actions have had a very serious impact on tourism: “There is a very strong demand from Saudi Arabia and the UAE for Istanbul and the Black Sea right now.” He said the tourist groups from the region will be a breath of fresh air for the sector, which is still trying to recover from the pandemic. Çorabatır also noted that the tourist profile coming from the Gulf region “likes good food and spends good money,” therefore, the stimulation in the tourism sector will contribute not only to hotels but also to anyone from taxi drivers to restaurants or sweets and souvenir sellers. He informed that nearly 750,000 tourists came from Saudi Arabia in 2018 and that this figure was a record-breaking one. This year, the sector expects to reach the 2018 figures of around 700,000 vacationers from Saudi Arabia, Çorabatır stressed.
Erdoğan has last week paid a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia. King Salman received Erdoğan Thursday evening with an official ceremony in the city of Jiddah. The two leaders held a closed-door meeting at Al-Salam Royal Palace. Erdoğan also met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). The president said after the meetings that Turkey and Saudi Arabia are striving to increase all kinds of political, military and economic relations to start a new era. The last time Erdoğan visited Saudi Arabia was in 2017, when he tried to mediate a dispute pitting the kingdom and other Gulf countries against Qatar. Following the 2011 Arab Spring, ideological differences and rival foreign policy objectives directed Ankara and Riyadh in different directions, making them fierce regional rivals. Turkey’s support for popular movements linked to the Muslim Brotherhood initially spurred the break with Arab regimes that saw the brotherhood’s political vision as a threat. During the process, Turkey and Saudi Arabia supported opposite sides in many regional conflicts. Later developments, particularly the blockade of Turkish ally Qatar by its Gulf neighbors, reinforced the split. The lifting of the embargo by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Bahrain early last year paved the way for reconciliation.
Ahmet Arslan, Hyatt Centric Levent Istanbul General Manager, meanwhile stated that there is heavy tourist traffic from both the UAE market and Saudi Arabia: “Especially the suites and king suites of luxury hotels in Istanbul are full. Princes and sheikhs from Dubai and Saudi Arabia, as well as Russian oligarchs, fill the city's luxury hotels. This pushes Istanbul room prices up significantly,” he said.
Black Sea Touristic Operators Association (KATID) Chairperson Murat Toktaş also said there has been a resurgence in reservation requests from Saudi Arabia and the UAE for venues on the Black Sea: “Pre-reservations that started in April turned into actual reservations after President Erdoğan's visit,” he said.
