Tourism worldwide was seriously affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the good news is that the sector is now gradually recovering. Türkiye, in particular, is once again one of the top choices for many foreigners, including Germans.
Norbert Fiebig, who heads the German Travel Agencies Association (DRV), expressed his optimism for the recovery of the tourism sector following the COVID-19 outbreak at the International Tourism Exchange (ITB) Fair in Berlin. He spoke about strong reservations made in December, January and February, and the fact that Türkiye is at the top.
Fiebig explained that the Germans were keen on going on vacations after the difficult period of the pandemic and that they made reservations by re-imagining old traditional destinations such as Türkiye. The Germans are becoming more price sensitive due to high inflation and energy costs. Destinations with excellent prices and quality are popular, and all-inclusive offers provide budgetary assurance.
According to Fiebig, Türkiye is one of the most successful destinations for German tourists, and demand for all-inclusive packages is particularly high. He emphasized the importance of the partnership between Germany and Türkiye in the tourism sector, noting that the DRV is committed to promoting tourism and ensuring the safety and satisfaction of German travelers.
Marking a complete rebound from a pandemic fallout, foreign arrivals in Türkiye neared record and all-time high revenues in 2022 and prompted the government to raise its tourism estimates for this year.
Tourism revenues jumped 53.4% to a record $46.3 billion last year, blowing past the previous high of $38.4 billion in 2019 before the pandemic hit. The figure stood at $30.2 billion in 2021 after the outbreak, while it was just $14.8 billion in 2020.
The number of foreign visitors arriving in January jumped 56.51% from a year earlier to 2 million, the Culture and Tourism Ministry said in February.
Visitors from Russia, Bulgaria and Germany, with a combined tally of 587,000 people, topped the list of foreigners who visited Türkiye in January, according to the data.
Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy has said foreign arrivals are expected to reach 60 million in 2023, before hitting 90 million in 2028. For the income, the government sees it rising to $56 billion this year and $100 billion five years from now.
COVID-19 restrictions all but dissipated in 2022 and Russians came in droves partly due to flight restrictions imposed by Western nations over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Arrivals were also backed by a surging demand from European countries, spearheaded by Germany and the United Kingdom.
