Eid sends Turkish tourists in search of sunshine

Turkey's Eid al-Adha holiday sent revellers in search of sunny beaches, boosting tourist numbers in resort towns and channelling some much-needed money into the economy.

The Eid holiday was extended to nine days, including weekends, by officials keen to get people spending during a holiday where travel is commonplace.

Small resort towns filled up as tourists made the most of a getaway that was for some, the first in a while thanks to covid restrictions.

Restaurants, hotels and tourist sites were pleased with the visitors, which helped make up for a fallow few months where covid kept attractions closed or quiet.

In Erdek, a calm and quiet Aegean resort town on the Izmir-Istanbul road, visitors sent occupancy rates soaring, with 85 percent of the town's 10,000 beds filling up. In response, hoteliers pushed their prices up, as did restaurants.

Bodrum and Marmaris were also popular Eid destinations, especially with Istanbul travellers. The population of these two centres effectively tripled during the Eid break, reaching almost a million people. Many of these visitors found sourcing accommodation almost impossible without a reservation.

It wasn't just domestic tourists visiting these popular spots: a wave of international tourists flew into the country, with Antalya being a particularly popular hub. Visitors flocked to Konyaalti, Lara and Sarisu Beaches, and strolled around the city's old town.