Soner Metin, General Manager of Sofitel Istanbul Taksim, said that after the opening of Istanbul Airport, Latin American countries preferred to travel to Maldives via Istanbul instead of Doha.
After IGA, Istanbul became the transit point instead of Doha on the way to the Maldives, and as a result, the number of South American tourists increased significantly.
Soner Metin, General Manager of Sofitel Istanbul Taksim, said that they have hosted a significant amount of tourists from Brazil and Argentina for the last 1.5 years and said, “Until Istanbul Airport was opened, Latin American countries had to go to Maldives via Doha. After IGA, Istanbul is used instead of Doha. This gave Istanbul a growing tourism market.” Noting that Istanbul has become a hub for new airline companies with the opening of İGA, Metin said, “THY also has great support. Demand has been very high since June 2021. Currently, it is between 12-15 percent of South American tourists. After Ramadan, it will increase to 25 percent. Istanbul wins with the contribution of important local and global accommodation brands, Accor and Sofitel, together with İGA and THY . ”
“We are a very valuable region”
Noting that the occupancy rate of Sofitel Istanbul Taksim is around 90 percent, Metin said, “Although the Ramadan period has regressed a little, I think we will maintain this occupancy rate throughout the holiday and the following year. We host 95 percent of foreign tourists. Our destination is also a very important area of responsibility for us. The meeting point of cultures that are very important for the world, Beyoğlu, Taksim adds great value to us. As Accor Group and Sofitel, we strive to meticulously fulfill our duty and responsibility to add value to such a region . ”
Noting that Istanbul should be considered as 7 separate regions as a tourism destination, like its 7 hills, Soner Metin made the following assessment:
“Imagine that we operate with 90 percent occupancy thanks to our high service quality and richness of our location. For example, hotels on the Anatolian side operate with lower averages. Another region serves different occupancy and different tourism segments. In other words, we cannot express a single Istanbul tourism and occupancy figure. It is necessary to think regionally”
