June has arrived but tourism has not picked up yet in the Eastern Black Sea region

In Trabzon, which has the most important destinations in the Eastern Black Sea Region, it was stated that despite the month of June, the expected mobility has not yet been achieved in the tourism sector. President of Trabzon Hoteliers Association, Mustafa Aksu, stated that although June has started, it has been a very weak period in terms of tourism, mentioning that the 9-day Eid al-Adha holiday is not very valid for the Eastern Black Sea Region. Emphasizing the significant damage caused by unregistered hotels to the sector, Aksu said, ‘Under normal circumstances, the tourism season should start now, but when we talk to our friends, it is passing quite weakly. There are many reasons for this. Because there is a problem when there are more suppliers than demand. If there are too many accommodations available, it prevents tourists and people from truly experiencing the tourism they deserve. There is an expectation and desire for Trabzon. There are major problems in Trabzon. First of all, we are selling rooms to people, and people are getting bored. We have a location problem, entertainment venues problem. Secondly, we always say when we talk about tourism in Trabzon, not only hotel rooms but locations are important, but there is a big problem with our unregistered hotels. While there are 282 official hotels in Trabzon, there are around 2,800 unregistered hotels including 600 unregistered ones. The damage caused by unregistered hotels to us is that they squeeze tourism into a month and cause the satisfaction rates to decrease.’
Aksu, reminding that in a survey, 17 out of 100 people said ‘I will come back’ to Trabzon, said, ‘Recently, the Tourism Directorate conducted a survey, and only 17 out of 100 people said ‘I will come back to Trabzon’, 83 insisted on not coming back. In our research, we found that 83, almost close to a hundred percent, stayed in uncontrolled and unregistered places that are not really part of the tourism sector. For example, when the season starts, we double our number of employees. What is the aim? To satisfy our guests and send them off happily. While we have 25-30 employees in the winter season, we employ 50 people in the summer season. The satisfaction of tourists to come back is very important for the sustainability of tourism. As the Hoteliers Association, we are trying to create sustainable tourism within the framework of the laws of the state as much as we can. We are doing our best for this.’
Aksu expressed that unregistered hotels need to be inspected, stating that this situation harms the city, ‘Every kind of shop, from grocery stores to clothing stores, suffers because tourism is declining. If a guest arriving here on July 15 can find a place to stay, then there is a problem here. If they cannot find a place, they will come in June anyway. If it is expensive, they will come in May automatically, and it will be four months. Our guests do not just stay in the hotel; they also explore the city. We are in favor of this city not losing its charm; this city will always attract tourists. Unfortunately, due to excessive density, we have started to make our nature and our people unhappy.’
‘A 9-day holiday is not very valid for some regions’ Evaluating the nine-day Eid al-Adha holiday, Aksu stated that the holiday is not valid for the Eastern Black Sea Region, saying, ‘When we look at the nine-day holiday, it is beneficial for the tourism sector, but it is not very valid for some regions. For example, the Eastern Black Sea Region mainly works with foreign countries, so it is not very suitable for domestic customers. Actually, our biggest problem is that schools start on September 9, meaning the season should be shorter. Of course, a nine-day holiday is not just for my industry, it is a very good thing for other commercial sectors. At least people going on vacation will boost the economy a bit. Will it affect us? Of course, it will have a 10-20% impact. Being before the season will bring some activity.’
‘Increase in the number of tourists, decrease in taxes’ Pointing out that there has been an increase in the number of tourists in the last 5 years, but a decrease in the tax bracket, Aksu said, ‘There has been an increase in recent years. The number of tourists coming to Trabzon has increased in the last 5 years, but there is also a decrease in the tax bracket, which is very interesting. We have told the necessary authorities about this. If more customers are coming, then the tax the state receives should increase, but there is a decrease. Also, if our capacity is full, let them come. If traffic is very bad in the summer and everything is congested for a month and a half, our water, electricity are not enough, and this city is not enough. If nature facilities are built, the sewage will flow somewhere in the future. Trabzon is a special city. You can swim in the sea and light a fire in the highlands 15 minutes later. Trabzon is an incredible city with its nature, history, and religious tourism. We say let’s create the sustainability of this city together.’