Expectations that the one-week school break would boost domestic tourism proved correct, Turkish Travel Agencies Association (TÜRSAB) Chairperson Firuz Bağlıkaya said Tuesday, noting that the uptick was well received by tourism professionals.

Schools were closed between Nov. 15 and Nov. 19 in accordance with the Ministry of National Education's 2021-2022 calendar and many chose to take advantage of the holiday, giving domestic tourism a much-appreciated boost.

Bağlıkaya told Anadolu Agency (AA) that this holiday season is going much better than the last, noting that more and more tourists are coming to Turkey from abroad as he pointed to the significant mobility in domestic markets.

“During the one-week school break, the occupancy was excellent in Turkey’s southern holiday resort city of Antalya. The tours to the Black Sea, Cappadocia and southeast also saw huge interest. The expectations of tourism professionals from the holiday have been well received,” Bağlıkaya said.

Ülkay Atmaca, head of Turkey’s Professional Hotel Managers Association (POYD), said that the weeklong school break has been applied for three years and has helped boost domestic tourism in Turkey.

“We experienced more mobility than we expected. The break was a revelation to both us and the domestic markets,” said Atmaca, noting the high occupancy rates not only in historical and touristic regions but also along the seasides.

“We hope the same impact will be seen during the semester and the other school breaks,” he added.