Turkey: Hotel occupancy rate up at 66.7 pct in Jan-Nov

By Tuba Sahin

ANKARA (AA) - Hotel occupancy rate across Turkey rose to 66.7 percent in the January-November period, a report revealed on Friday.

The figure was up 10.3 percent on a yearly basis in the first 11 months of 2018, according to the Turkish Hotel Association (TUROB) report, based on a survey conducted by data and analysis company STR Global.

Turkey posted the highest increase in hotel occupancy rate between January and November, it underlined.

The rate was 73.3 percent in Europe on average, the report added.

Timur Bayindir, the head of TUROB, said market diversification had positive impact on prices.

Average daily rate for rooms was €70.8 ($83.9) in January-November period, rising 6.4 percent year-on-year.

Bayindir added that upward trend was expected to continue thanks to positive signals from target countries.

Hotel occupancy rate in Istanbul, Turkey's largest city by population and one of its top tourist draws, rose to 71.5 percent, up from 63.1 percent in the same period last year.

In November, the hotel occupancy rate also rose 1.5 percent to stand at 63.7 percent.

According to data from Culture and Tourism Ministry on Friday, more than 37.5 million foreigners visited the country in the first 11 months of 2018, up 22.3 percent year-on-year.