The appreciation of the ruble and expectations that the war will end have once again increased the demand for Russian tourists to Turkey.

Signals that the war with Ukraine is nearing its end, and the appreciation of the Russian currency, the ruble, against both the dollar and the Turkish lira, have revived demand from Russia, one of Turkey's most important tourism markets.

After a difficult winter, the sector is observing an increase in early bookings for the summer season. Reservations are reportedly accelerating in Russia, which, together with Germany, was one of Turkey's largest source markets last year with 6.7 million visitors.

Kaan Kavaloğlu, President of the Mediterranean Touristic Hoteliers and Operators Association (AKTOB), stated that the winter season of 2025 started 10 percent behind last year, but there has been a significant recovery in reservations for the summer period. Kavaloğlu said, "The appreciation of the ruble against the TL and the dollar, and the expectation that the war may end, are having a positive impact. Early bookings from Russia have started."

Mehmet İşler, Vice President of the Turkish Hoteliers Federation (TÜROFED), also pointed out that there may be a tougher price competition between Turkey and the Greek Islands this year, emphasizing that especially the high-income domestic tourist will make a decision within this competition.

The Greek Islands are also among the destinations that have been animated by the holiday effect. Murat Orhan, General Manager of İDO, stated that with the extension of the holiday to 9 days, there was a 15 percent increase in flight requests from the first day. Orhan announced that they are operating flights every day of the week this year and that they aim to reach occupancy rates of 70 percent, especially on the Samos line.

Source: ekonomim.com