Steve Heapy, CEO of jet2.com and jet2holidays, met with Antalian tourism professionals to evaluate the 2024 tourism season. Heapy called on tourists to work with jet2.

Speaking exclusively to Tourism Today, Steve Heapy, CEO of jet2.com and jet2holidays, underlined that Turkey's future in the UK market is very bright, but there are also factors to be concerned about, “Türkiye is a very in-demand destination. It has great hotels and great customer service. There are some things we have to worry about though. As I said, demand for Türkiye is falling due to the geopolitical situation in the Middle East. We have seen huge price increases in hotels because of inflation and that narrows the value gap between Türkiye and other destinations. We have to be careful that hoteliers don't reduce the number of staff in hotels because that makes a big difference. Türkiye is known for very good hotels, high standards of customer service, good accommodation prices, lots to do while you are here and it is still a very strong destination. But we have to be careful not to make it less attractive and we have to work very hard together because of the geopolitical situation in the Middle East. There is a short-term problem. We need to fill the destination. As a long term solution hoteliers need to work with Jet2holidays and sell early. We have to sell early. In the last few years prices have increased rapidly because inflation is high in Türkiye. Salaries have had to increase. I understand that but it means that hotel prices have also increased. We have to be careful so that prices don't go even higher and cut the demand for Türkiye,” he advised.

“I think hotels should work with jet2hotels to take the risk and sell early. Because people find it harder to cancel a vacation than booking a new one and they remember who brought them to the destination. jet2.com brings guests to Türkiye from 12 different hubs in the UK. Therefore, we have to take all the risks and make sure that the hotels working with us get the best rates, with the best availability and the least amount of stop-selling. Please protect, love and value the company that brings everyone here. And that company is Jet2!” he said and called on Turkish tourists to work with Jet2.

Stating that he will be in Türkiye for 2 more weeks, Heapy said, “The first week I will be working here. I want to spend more time with the tourism professionals in Türkiye. The next week I will be on vacation in Türkiye. When I return to the UK at the end of the 2 weeks, I will spend time on marketing and pricing strategies for Türkiye so that we can sell early. So I will still be focusing on Türkiye. I love Türkiye.”