According to provisional data from the General Directorate of Security, the number of foreign visitors to Turkey in April 2017 increased 18.1 percent compared to the same month the previous year, reaching 2 million, including 34,144 (1.65 percent) day-trippers.

The number of foreign visitors who came to Turkey in the January-April 2017 period reached 5.9 million, increasing by 0.96 percent compared to the same period last year, including 52,000 day-trippers.

Hotel occupancy rate increases, prices decrease

The Hotel Association of Turkey (TÜROB) announced that the country's hotel occupancy rate rose 15.7 percent in April compared to the same period last year, reaching 61.2 percent.

According to the association's statement, the rise of the hotel industry's occupancy rate countrywide, especially in Istanbul, is a ray of hope, while it is also noteworthy that this increase has yet to be reflected in prices. The "April 2017 Hotel Performance Report" for TÜROB, prepared by one of the world's leading data and analysis companies STR Global has been announced.

Accordingly, Turkey's April 2017 hotel occupancy rate climbed from 52.9 percent to 61.2 percent with an increase of 15.7 percent compared to the same period the previous year. In January-April 2017, on the other hand, the hotel occupancy rate rose 5.8 percent, reaching 53.8 percent.

This increase in occupancy has not corresponded to an increase in revenue. In the first four months of 2017, Turkey experienced the biggest loss in room revenue with a decrease of 23.3 percent. The average daily rate (ADR), or the average rate paid for rooms sold, fell to 59 euros.

The increase in occupancy in Istanbul, which has become the city most affected by problems affecting the tourism sector in the last 18 months, approached 30 percent in April. On the other hand, the occupancy rate of Istanbul, which was 50.6 percent in April 2016, jumped 27.9 percent in April 2017, reaching 64.8 percent. Despite this increase, Istanbul has not recovered from being the European destination which suffered the biggest loss of revenue with a decrease of 29.8 percent in ADR and 10.2 percent in revenue per available room (RevPAR) in April 2017.

In Istanbul, the ADR in April fell to 78.5 euros from 111.9 euros compared to April 2016. The RevPAR, on the other hand, dropped from 56.6 euros to 50.9 euros compared to the previous year.

While the occupancy rate in the January-April 2017 period jumped from 49.9 percent to 53.5 percent compared to the same period last year, the ADR dropped from 96.3 euros to 71.5 euros and the RevPAR fell from 48 euros to 38.2 euros.

Meanwhile, the hotel occupancy rate in April 2017 in Antalya rose 8.8 percent compared to the same period of the previous year, jumping from 53.1 percent to 57.8 percent.

The ADR in Antalya in April 2017 fell from 53.7 euros to 50.9 euros with a decrease of 5.2 percent compared to April 2016 while the RevPAR climbed 3.1 percent compared to the previous year, from 28.5 euros to 29.4 euros.

While the occupancy rate in January-April 2017 increased from 48.2 percent to 54 percent compared to the same period last year, the ADR dropped from 57 euros to 49.2 euros and the RevPAR fell from 27.8 euros to 26.6 euros.

TÜROB President Timur Bayındır, assessing the April figures, stated that there was an increase in the occupancy rates in April 2017 due to the Easter holiday and mobility in the Middle Eastern market.