Istanbul Weighs Tourist Ban to Ease Local Burden : What you need to know

Published on August 4, 2024

A local tour guide has called on Turkey’s government to introduce stricter rules to regulate tourism accommodation, advocating for a new tourist tax. Zekeriya Şen, the founder of personalized travel firm Fest Travel, warned that current tourism practices in Turkey, particularly in Istanbul, are not suitable.

Mr. Şen urged the city’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, to impose a “ban on renting apartments to tourists or take very drastic measures to solve the housing crisis caused by tourism.” He emphasized that uncontrolled tourism is turning locals “poorer and less self-sufficient” and called for major changes.

Key Points on Istanbul’s Tourism Crisis:

• Tourist Tax: Mr. Şen proposed implementing a tourist tax to improve the city’s infrastructure and services.
• Current Capacity: According to a November 2023 report by TÜROB, Istanbul has 1,717 hotels with 75,079 rooms and 152,441 beds, which Mr. Şen believes is sufficient.
• Housing Crisis: The guide highlighted the need to address housing affordability issues exacerbated by tourism.
• Government Measures: Moves have already been made to safeguard cultural centers, such as Phaselis on Turkey’s southern coast, which has implemented a new tourism management plan to curb overcrowding.
• Hagia Sophia Charge: Earlier this year, the government began charging tourists £21.36 (€25) to enter Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia, a major cultural and historical site, while Turkish nationals can enter for free.

Context:

Like several other European holiday hotspots, Turkey faces a growing number of tourists, leading to calls from locals for extensive measures to contain and limit the negative impacts of over-tourism. Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced a new tourism management plan for Phaselis after backlash from locals.