We met with Yasin Yüksel and Barış Altun, the founders of Die Reisemesse, to discuss tourism activity in Germany and the future of the sector. In the interview, where we discussed many topics from roadshow events that make a difference in the German market to early booking trends, Yüksel and Altun drew attention to the transformation in the tourism sector. "German tourists are now looking for more comfort and quality, the share of the luxury segment is increasing," said Yüksel, also emphasized the impact of the increase in airline prices on holiday costs.
"We are organizing events that shape tourism in Germany"
As Die Reisemesse, you are organizing remarkable events in the German market. Could you tell us a little about your organizations?
We started this business in 2018 and first organized a tourism fair at Patapon Airport. Although we had to take a break during the pandemic period, as of 2022, we started "Exclusive Roadshow" events with Barut Hotels
.
We are improving this concept every year. We moved the event, which we held in four cities in 2023, to a total of 10 cities in Germany and Austria in 2024
. At the same time, we organized a roadshow in eight cities with Titanic Hotels
.
The biggest difference that distinguishes us from other tour operators is that all travel agencies can participate in these events.
In this way, hotels and travel agencies meet directly, make one-on-one meetings and develop collaborations. For example, we connected with more than 500 agencies in the events we held with Barut Hotels, and 480 agencies with Titanic Hotels.
"Early booking is strong, but there is a slowdown in the summer months"
What is the latest situation in holiday sales from Germany to Turkey? How are early bookings progressing?
The early booking period (October, November and December)
was quite strong. However, there is a slowdown in reservations, especially for families with children, in July and August.
Sales for September and October look very good
, and May also had a very strong start
. However, there is a decrease in June, July and August compared to previous years.
The main reason for this is the serious increase in air ticket prices
. For example, ticket prices can go up to 600-800 Euros on some flights
. This increases the total cost of holiday packages and affects the reservation decisions of families with children in particular.
"Turkey is in a better position than its competitors in the German market"
What is the perception of Turkey in Germany? Is the interest in our country continuing?
Turkey's tourism perception in Germany has reached a much better point in recent years
. We don't see much of the negativity experienced in 2016-2017 anymore. On the contrary, Turkey is in a stronger position compared to rival destinations such as Spain, Greece and Egypt
.
One of the main reasons for this is our service quality. I can say that the quality of hotels, the service they offer and the gastronomy in Turkey are
unrivaled. The all-inclusive concept and the hospitality we offer are a major preference in the German market. Therefore, I do not think that political factors have any negative impact on tourism mobility.
"The main cost increase in tourism stems from airline prices"
How have the recent exchange rate fluctuations and price increases affected the tourism sector?
There has been a natural increase in hotel prices in Turkey
, but the main determinant is the increase in airline prices
.
Although hotels are usually criticized for price increases,
the main factor that increases costs is airline tickets. Considering that tour operators bring together both hotel and airfare prices when creating packages, this year's increase in airline prices has significantly increased holiday costs
.
Hotel prices have of course increased due to the exchange rate, but I think that hotels in Turkey have balanced their prices with the quality of service they offer. The main problem is the uncontrolled price increase in airline tickets.
"German tourists are now turning to luxury hotels more"
Do you observe any changes in the profile of tourists coming to Turkey from Germany? How are their holiday habits shaping up?
In recent years, we have observed a significant increase in
demand for luxury hotels. Compared to the pre-pandemic period, German tourists are now turning to more upper segment hotels.
Especially middle-aged and older tourists give more importance to comfort and service quality. Even those who previously preferred budget-friendly holidays are now looking for higher quality and comfort.
While the understanding of holiday was previously
"let's go as long as the price is right", it has now changed to
"really rest and have a quality experience on holiday". Therefore, sales of luxury hotels in the German market have shown a significant increase in recent years.
