The Turkish lira has lost more than 30 percent of its value against the Swedish krona in the past three months.
An important reason for the collapse is the interest rate cuts that the central bank implemented this year.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said, among other things, that he wants to protect the population against high interest rates, and also fired several central bank governors.
That the lira has become weaker is noticeable in the Swedish charter bookings.
- Travel bookings to Turkey are much better compared to most other travel destinations, says Michael Kapin, sales manager at the travel agency Ticket, which sells trips from most major travel companies.
Seventh most booked
The country has gone from being the 13th most booked holiday country in 2019 to being the seventh right now, according to statistics from Ticket.
There can be several explanations.
- Turkey is one of the few countries outside the EU that you can travel to in the current situation.
And proof is enough that you do not have covid-19 to be able to enter the country, says Kapin.
Cheap trips
But price is another important factor behind the increased interest.
Both Ticket and the charter companies confirm that Turkish inflation has made travel cheaper.
In addition, it is cheaper for tourists once you are in place.
- In general, Turkey's value for money has strengthened against other Mediterranean destinations due to the fall of the Turkish lira against, among others, the Swedish krona, says Claes Pellvik, communications manager at Ving.
- The trips are cheaper this summer than before.
Another explanation is that Turkey needs its tourists.
- Prices have never been as low as they are now, and you get more for your money this year than you got in 2019. This is because the hotel and airline companies are keen to get bookings for 2022, says Stefan Chatzopoulos, information manager at the tour operator Airtours.