STR Data: August stirred, but it was not enough...

While more than half of the hotels still remain closed, tourism traffic stirred in August compared with the previous month. This stir was not enough to move into positive territory compared with the same month of last year. In August, this year's busiest month for tourism, average occupancy fell by 55.9 percent compared with the same month last year, reaching 34.7 percent.

The Association of Turkish Hoteliers (TÜROB) has announced the accommodation sector occupancy rates for the month of August, which passed under the shadow of the pandemic. While more than half of the hotels, particularly in Istanbul, still remain closed, tourism traffic stirred in the last month of the summer season compared with the previous month. However, this stir was not enough to move into positive territory compared with the same month of last year. According to data obtained from hotels that are open, Turkey's August 2020 hotel occupancy was recorded at 34.7 percent, a decrease of 55.9 percent compared with the same period of 2019.

In August 2019 this rate had been 78.8 percent. According to the August 2020 Country Performance Report prepared for TÜROB by the global data and analytics company STR, the average daily rate of rooms sold, expressed as ADR (Average Daily Rate), came to 111.5 Euros in August, an increase of 7.7 percent. Revenue obtained per room over the total number of rooms (RevPAR), regarded as the most important revenue item in accommodation, fell by 52.5 percent to 38.7 Euros.

In the January-August 2020 period, Turkey's average occupancy rate was 28.5 percent, a decrease of 57.4 percent; the average daily rate of rooms sold was 70.2 Euros, a decrease of 10.6 percent; and revenue per room was 20.0 Euros, a decrease of 61.9 percent.

Europe did not recover either

In August 2020, the decline continued in Europe as well. The average occupancy of European countries was 36 percent, a decrease of 53.6 percent, while the average room rate was 100.3 Euros, a decrease of 14.4 percent, and room revenue was 36.1 Euros, a decrease of 60.3 percent. Over 8 months, the average occupancy of European destinations was 28.3 percent, a decrease of 60.5 percent; the average room rate was 97.0 Euros, a decrease of 13.7 percent; and room revenue was 27.4 Euros, a decrease of 65.9 percent.

Istanbul below the average

Istanbul's occupancy rate, which had been 86.7 percent in August 2019, was measured at 29.5 percent in August 2020, a decrease of 65.9 percent. The average daily rate of rooms sold was measured at 93.1 Euros, a decrease of 11.9 percent compared with 2019. In revenue obtained per room over the total number of rooms, there was a decline of 70 percent compared with the previous year, measured at 27.5 Euros.

In Istanbul, in the January-August 2020 period, occupancy was 28.0 percent, a decrease of 61.8 percent; the average daily rate of rooms sold was 76.1 Euros, a decrease of 14.6 percent; and revenue per room was 21.3 Euros, a decrease of 67.4 percent.

Antalya gained hope

In Antalya, August 2020 hotel occupancy was 59.7 percent, a decrease of 28.5 percent compared with the same period of the previous year. The room rate was 212.6 Euros, an increase of 26.5 percent compared with 2019. In room revenue there was a decline of 9.5 percent compared with the previous year, measured at 126.9 Euros.

In Antalya, in the first 8 months, the occupancy rate was 37 percent, a decrease of 43.9 percent; the average daily rate of rooms sold was 100.1 Euros, an increase of 3.4 percent; and revenue per room was 37.0 Euros, a decrease of 42 percent.

Those that are open are also closing until the end of the year

In her assessment of the matter, TÜROB President Müberra Eresin said that, as expected, the summer period had ended under the negative effects of the pandemic. Recalling that tourism traffic had begun with the easing of pandemic restrictions in June, Eresin pointed out that in July and August, at the hotels open in coastal regions, the average occupancy had reached 40-50 percent with both domestic holidaymakers and tourists arriving from countries where entries had begun. Eresin said: "In city hotels, however, unfortunately there was no movement at all. Both in city hotels and in coastal regions, the great majority of hotels are still closed. Some hotels that are open have also begun, starting in September, to once again suspend their operations until the end of the year. In November, during the Formula 1 period, we expect a revival at the hotels on the Anatolian side in Istanbul. However, we think this event will boost the sector's morale rather than provide much commercial return."