Contradiction in Istanbul; Coincidence of inflation and increase in tourism income

According to the international group Tasnim news agency, the metropolis of 14 million people Istanbul Known as the cultural and commercial capital of Turkey, in 2023, it experienced a great situation. Because the difference in the figures related to cost and inflation in this city compared to other 80 provinces of Turkey was very significant and in sectors such as housing, food and transportation, the citizens of Istanbul had a much more difficult year.

However, it should not be neglected to mention the fact that Istanbul was a record breaker for attracting tourists in 2023 and hosted 17 million 370 thousand 30 foreign visitors, a record for all years.

Russia, Germany and Iran, guests of Istanbul

The number of foreigners who traveled to Istanbul last year increased by 8.44% compared to 2022. Of these, 1 million 990 thousand 226 people were Russians, Germany was in second place with 1 million 286 thousand 504 people, Iranian tourists were third with 1 million 53 thousand 638 people, and American tourists were with 853 thousand and 766 people are in the fourth place.

In other ranks, we see such statistics and figures: England with 701 thousand and 361 people, Saudi Arabia with 604 thousand and 509 people and France with 589 thousand and 149 people. 1402112514440423229398254.jpg”/>

Statistics showed that the embargo on Russia by many European countries actually benefited Turkey and most of the tourists who traveled to Istanbul came from Russia.

The contradiction between the arrival of millions of tourists and the increase in poverty RTL”>The remarkable economic point about Istanbul is that, although the arrival of 17.5 million tourists to this ancient historical city is important in itself, there is also an obvious contradiction that shows that even the arrival of millions of foreign tourists is beneficial. It does not bring much to ordinary people living in Istanbul, and by the way, in 2023, more than two hundred thousand families had to leave this city due to the unprecedented increase in housing rental costs.

But why is that? Doesn’t the arrival of all those tourists benefit all the citizens of Istanbul? The answer is negative. Because, firstly, sectors such as hotels, taxi fleets, museums and restaurants consume most of this income, and the government, as a powerful entity that receives large taxes, benefits a lot.

But the middle class and lower middle class, not only do not get more prosperity and facilities, but also face problems such as sudden increase in the price of food, traffic and congestion, and rising housing prices.

In the last 5 years, 2.2 million people have migrated from Istanbul to other cities. One of the biggest reasons for migration is the “expensive housing and food” and with inflation reaching its highest level in the last 20 years, financial problems in Istanbul have reached their peak.

Istanbul It is one of the cities where the rent price has increased the most. The number of foreigners living in this city is also increasing rapidly. As of the beginning of October, 576,000 foreigners live in Istanbul with residence permits.

On the other hand, Istanbul continues to accept immigration. But the number of exits is more than the number of entries. According to the data of the Immigration Management Department of the Ministry of Interior of Turkey, as of October 12, 2023, the number of Syrians with temporary permits in Istanbul was 532 thousand.

The population of Istanbul including Syrians is 16 million and 440 thousand people. This shows that 32 out of every thousand people living in this city are Syrians. Of course, the evidence shows that the number of Syrians without residence permits is also significant.

In mentioning the statistics of 17.5 million foreign tourists who traveled to Istanbul in 2023, One should also consider the footprint of an important issue called the importance of “Istanbul Airport”. Part of the tourists whose figures are recorded in the final figure of incoming tourists are the passengers who stayed in Istanbul to change or stop the plane.

The number of foreign visitors who arrived by air In 2023, Istanbul will have 16 million 964 thousand 432 people. 71.78 percent of the tourists who arrived in Istanbul by air in 2023 used “Istanbul Airport” and this airport hosted 12 million 177 thousand 784 foreigners. Sabiha Gokchen Airport ranked second with 28.12% and the rest of the passengers arrived by land and sea.

Money Those that don’t go into the pockets of ordinary people Is. Now this figure has doubled and Turkey’s tourism income in 2023 has reached 54 billion 315 million 542 thousand dollars with a 16.9% increase compared to the previous year.

The average cost per person per night is 99 dollars and inflation has caused 70.7% in sports, educational and cultural expenses, 33.2% in food and beverage expenses and 27% increase in accommodation costs. Therefore, the increase in the income of Turkey’s tourism sector does not necessarily mean higher profits, and the cost of goods and services has gone up and up.

One ​​of the most important points in the discussion of Turkey’s tourism economy, The attempt is to attract people from countries that are thought to be willing to spend more money on travel.

Mehmet Arsavi, the Minister of Culture and Tourism of Turkey, has announced that this country is looking for ways to attract tourists from North America, Canada, China, India and Australia.

He continued: “We will break new records in 2024. Our goal is 60 million visitors and 60 billion dollars in tourism revenue.

The worrying paradox about the increase in tourism revenue in Turkey is that the rich and capital owners, at the same time as the number of tourists increases. Foreigners are getting richer, but the poor are in a more difficult situation.

Bogra Gokce, the deputy mayor of Istanbul, announced that 2.5 million foreigners live in Istanbul and One of the consequences of this issue is inflation in the housing sector. Rents have skyrocketed, people are angry.

Bogra Gokce, citing data from the Istanbul Planning Agency, announced that the average rental price in Istanbul until October 2023 will be 13,300. The lira has arrived. The ratio of minimum wage to rent coverage has reached 85% and only 15% remains for living expenses! But the situation of retirees is even worse than this, and pensions cannot even cover the rental rate in the outskirts of the city. The three main problems of Istanbul are refugees, inflation and traffic. After these 3 problems, the sale and rent of housing and the possible earthquake in Istanbul are some of the topics that are constantly discussed among families in Istanbul.

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