Turkey: Turkish Hotels Closing One After Another

In the sunny streets of Bodrum and along the beaches of the Turkish Riviera, rolling suitcases have often come to a sudden halt in front of closed doors. As the summer season began, a wave of shock swept over the country's coastlines, as reported today by the German newspaper HNA. The reason: the abrupt closure of more than 4,000 hotels, ordered by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism due to administrative non-compliance.

A Season Sabotaged by Bureaucratic Tangles

The newspaper BirGün describes it as a "chaotic start to the season." The affected hotels had failed to obtain their tourist operation certificate in time, a crucial document needed for legal operation. The authorities opted for a heavy-handed approach without prior notice. As a result, thousands of vacationers found themselves without accommodation overnight, with some discovering their cancellations upon arrival. The implicated establishments also vanished from booking platforms, leaving travel agencies and clients in a bind, notes Travel and Tour World.

Industry professionals reacted swiftly. Serdar Karcılıoğlu, president of the Bodrum Hoteliers Association, criticized a decision "made behind a desk without understanding the ground realities." According to him, only 200 of the closed establishments might hope to rectify their situation in time for the season, while the others are doomed to remain closed or risk operating illegally.

An Overwhelmed Ministry, Distressed Hoteliers

The crux of the problem lies in administrative bottlenecks. The ministry, overwhelmed by requests and understaffed, was unable to process the certificates that had been requested well in advance. This sluggishness was exacerbated by the trauma of a recent tragedy: the deadly fire in Kartalkaya, which claimed the lives of 78 people. Since then, security checks have been tightened, making standards stricter and approvals slower to obtain.

In the meantime, the economic consequences are significant: blocked investments, colossal debts, and lost revenues. Tourists, for their part, oscillate between anger and confusion.

The ministry now advises travelers to check if their hotel possesses the required certificate before making a reservation. This precaution comes too late for many. Turkey, concludes the German media, cannot afford such disorganization, as its tourism sector accounts for nearly 10% of GDP.