It is expected that expatriates will fill the place of vacationers escaping from the extreme heat.

While the beaches in the district of Silifke in Mersin are left to the local people, tourism came to a standstill as European Cup and expatriates did not come for vacation due to extreme heat. During the Eid al-Adha holiday, beaches, hotels, motels, and guesthouses experienced a hundred percent occupancy rate, but after the holiday, the beaches were empty. Local beach businesses couldn’t make any sales as expatriates arrived late due to European Cup matches and extreme heat, causing local tourists not to come. The beaches remained to the local people in the district, and the sea and sunbeds were left empty. Due to the heat, the local people who went to the sea early in the morning or in the evening stated that they were happy because the beaches were left to themselves. Tourism operator Ali Kucuk stated, ‘We cannot say as every year. Because our facilities and beaches are empty. One of the reasons for this could be the insufficient interest of expatriates in our region. The reasons could be the European Cup and the extreme heat in our region. At the same time, not only in Mersin but also in other holiday destinations, full occupancy has not been achieved along the beaches. We can say that the reasons are extreme heat and the European Cup. The interest of expatriates is decreasing every year. But there is no problem with other cultural tours and tourism diversity. This also shows that we should increase the diversity of tourism in our region. Currently, all our facilities, beaches, plateaus, and historical sites in our region are ready. All our destinations are ready. We are waiting for you to come and vacation in our region.’ Ergin Ak stated that there is a slow movement starting in the region, saying, ‘Our occupancy rate was very good during the Eid al-Adha. There was a gap after the Eid al-Adha. Slow movements have started. We are waiting for our expatriates and citizens to vacation.’ Murat Ozturk, who runs a cafe on the beach, mentioned that as the business owners in Atakent beach, they did well during the Eid al-Adha, and now they are relying on expatriates.