With Turkey’s tourism industry preparing for the 2026 season under the shadow of war, industry representatives are warning of mounting cost and price pressures.

Concerns are also mounting because European travellers are increasingly delaying holiday bookings until the “last minute,” leaving operators uncertain about demand, people from the tourism sector in Turkey told business daily Ekonomi.

Industry leaders are calling for measures to protect tourism businesses, including easier access to financing and relief from employment-related burdens.

According to official data, foreign tourist arrivals in Turkey fell 2.1% y/y to 2.13mn in February. In the first two months of 2026, the country welcomed 4.37mn international visitors, with the figure representing a modest 0.7% y/y increase.

Yigit Girgin, Bodrum representative of the Professional Hotel Managers Association (POYD), told Ekonomi that though Turkey’s Aegean Sea resorts are geographically distant from the Middle East conflict zones, bookings are nevertheless affected.

“There is a clear ‘wait-and-see’ attitude across the sector. In markets where decisions are made on a short-term basis, caution, slowdown, and even cancellations are evident. The season has not started smoothly for us,” he said.

Girgin was reported as emphasising that demand has not completely stopped but has become more “sensitive”. “People are no longer just buying a holiday; they are buying safety, stability, and the assurance of a problem-free experience. Although destinations like the Aegean, Bodrum, Antalya, and Istanbul are far from the war geographically, perceptions in foreign markets can shift quickly,” he added.

Cost and price pressures are the sector’s biggest challenge now, Girgin continued.

“Costs are rising, price pressures are intensifying, and competition is becoming tougher. In such an environment, simply telling hoteliers to ‘hold on’ is not enough. Financing access must be eased, and burdens from employment should be reduced to safeguard the industry,” he was also reported as saying.