Room occupancy rates halved in Turkish hotels: Report

Nearly half of the hotel rooms in Turkey are empty with an 11 percent fall in 2017, a recent report by STR Global, a data company, has stated. 

A 1.9 percent increase in the last month of 2016, which was solely revenue from New Year's Day bookings in the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya, did not help annual figures recover, which stood at 50.8 percent. 

The losses were not limited to the rate of occupancy but were measured by revenues per room, which fell to 39.5 euros from 65.3 euros in 2016. This figure stands at an average of 68.4 euro per room in Europe. 

Ankara joined Istanbul in losses in both occupancy rate and revenues. 

Meanwhile, hotel performance in the U.K. in 2016 performed like Europe, with a slight decline in occupancy and minimal increase in room rates, according to STR. The U.K.'s occupancy rate decreased 0.2 percent to 77.2 percent, while occupancy across Europe was down 0.6 percent to 70.4 percent.

Meanwhile, average daily rate and revenue per available room in the U.K. increased by 1.6 percent to 89.21 pounds and by 1.4 percent to 68.88 pounds. 

In Europe, average daily rate and revenue per available room grew by 1.5 percent to 111.77 euros (95.39 pounds) and by 2.1 percent to 78.64 euros (67.11 pounds).

For 2017, STR and its forecast partner Tourism Economics forecast that staycations will boost hotel performance across the U.K., as travelling abroad has become more expensive due to the fall in the U.K. pound's value.