Istanbul’s hotels are reporting strong autumn demand unlike any in recent memory, as Turkey’s tourism strategy shifts from seasonal sun-seekers to year-round cultural, medical, and business travelers transforming the city into a destination that thrives beyond summer.
According to Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) data, hotel occupancy in Istanbul during October 2023 reached 78% a 12-point increase from 2022 and the highest autumn figure since 2019. Revenue per available room (RevPAR) also climbed by 19%, driven by longer stays and higher-spending visitors from the Gulf, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe.
At a boutique hotel near the Grand Bazaar, owner Deniz Kaya adjusts heaters on the rooftop terrace as golden leaves drift onto empty tables. “In September, we used to shut half the floors,” she says, sipping çay beside a flickering brazier. “Now, we’re fully booked through November mostly families from Kazakhstan visiting universities, or couples combining dental tourism with a Bosphorus cruise.”
Yılmaz’s hotel now offers “cultural immersion packages” with guided walks through Balat’s Jewish quarter and Ottoman manuscript workshops. His team also launched a youth initiative training local students as multilingual heritage guides many of whom now earn income while studying history at Istanbul University.
This diversification eases pressure on overcrowded summer months and spreads economic benefits across seasons and neighborhoods. In Kadıköy and Üsküdar once overlooked by international tourists new guesthouses and art galleries now buzz with visitors seeking authentic Istanbul beyond the postcard sights.
As twilight settles over the Galata Bridge, fishermen cast lines beside couples sharing simit under amber streetlights. The call to prayer echoes over ferries gliding across the Bosphorus a city breathing steadily, no longer dependent on a single season’s grace. In this new rhythm, Istanbul doesn’t just welcome the world; it invites it to stay awhile.
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