Cities and vacations spots in Türkiye, as well as transport associations, are gearing up for the upcoming nine-day holiday marking the Qurban Bayram, also known as Eid al-Adha, as numbers in bus and hotel bookings are anticipated to rise further, according to bus drivers and hoteliers top representatives.
"We anticipate that an average of 800,000 passengers will be transported during the Eid holiday, and approximately 8 million people will be transported within 10 days (of the holiday)," Mustafa Yıldırım, the chairperson of the Union of Chamber of Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB) Road Passenger Transport Council, noted Friday.
Highlighting the high demand the transport companies witnessed prior to the holiday aligning with the start of summer school break, Yıldırım speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) noted they plan to provide extra seats by increasing capacity by around 20%.
He also said that the rush and demand that begins with Qurban Bayram is expected to continue until the end of summer, adding that some 350 bus companies provide services in Türkiye with 8,500 buses.
Yıldırım also noted a shift in foreign interest toward bus services, particularly from passengers carrying more luggage.
Currently, 150 bus lines operate daily from Europe and the Balkans, including daily transportation to Germany and recently commencing travel to France.
Meanwhile, the interest of citizens in the preferred four-five day packages during the Qurban Bayram holiday has also soared this season, Turkish Travel Agencies Association (TÜRSAB) Chairperson Firuz Bağlıkaya noted in his recent interview with AA.
"Compared to the previous year, we can talk about an increase of nearly 30% in domestic holiday reservations in general. There is a domestic interest in our coastal destinations and cultural tours. In addition, there is a demand for countries that can be visited without a visa in international tours," he said.
Maintaining that the extension of the Eid al-Adha holiday to nine days will positively reflect on tourism activity, Bağlıkaya noted that according to the association's predictions, close to 1.5 million to 2 million people are expected to take a holiday within the borders of the country.
While significant hotel bookings and high demand are expected in the Mediterranean-Aegean basin, locations such as the Black Sea highlands, Cappadocia and the southeast are expected to be a top draw for the cultural tours, Bağlıkaya highlighted.
"On the foreign front, Balkan tours are also in high demand along with destinations like Sharm el-Sheikh, the Far East and Morocco," he noted.
The Qurban Bayram holiday was initially planned to start on June 28 and end on July 1. However, Turkish authorities have extended it to a nine-day public holiday, including administrative leave on June 26 and June 27, as well as the inclusion of two weekends.