i agree turkey is expensive we where in bodrum and gumbet this year and found drinks same price as the u.k in the music bars which is to be expected i think, food still value for money the cheapest beer i found 1.5 lira but you would not spend all night in that bar.we found more offers in gumbet like free wine, first free drink starters and fruit for a sweetmy twin girls will be 15 in november and they loved dancing in gumbet nothing really in bodrum for them where are we going next year gumbet the reason being during the day a pools a pool and a beach is a beach but on a night keeping everybody happy is the main thing weve tried spain and bulgaria but its the night life that makes it a winner for all ages.we went self catering this year but have priced a holiday for next year bed and breakfast and its cheaper cheers ian

I suppose the question is, has mass-tourism changed the face of some parts of Turkey. Has it changed the fabric of places, and does everyone that lives there welcome the changes that mass-tourism brings? Many people expect that they will find the facilities they want, and to a great extent many places try to provide what visitors want, but then how much effect does that have on what is essentially Turkish?

And doesn't the money we bring in have an effect on the economy, including the cost of living for the local people?

If it's changed, haven't we, as tourists, all affected that to one degree or another by our expectations and maybe just by our presence in large numbers?

I do think there is a change in the air. We hadnt been to turkey for 2 years but we definately noticed a change this year.Yes the cost of a handbag had doubled but shopowners would just let you walk from the shop if you didnt like the price and much of the usual friendly haggling banter had gone:( We love turkey and its people. My nephews wife is Half turkish, her mum (English) and dad (turkish) have both run very successful resturants/bars in Kusadasi for many many years. they are divorced now but remain good friends .Her mum has recently returned home after becoming very disillusioned with turkey and the people over the last couple of years. she feels that they are on the whole lovely people but the bottom line is that they are just not good business men and they are becoming too greedy. she doesnt necessarily mean the guy we see that works very long hours for a pitance who is being forced to close his shop because he cant make money she means those further up the chain.she gave us an example recently of the way a turkish shop/bar owner would deal with a slump in business. I only have her opinion here but she says that if they get no sales , up would go the price to try to cover their losses but maybe it would be a better idea to cut prices and sell more and have a full bar . I just think the turks have become more sophisticated and as phoebe says this is down to the large numbers visiting so its to be expected. they have just lost their innocence. They are very used to things going their way with the english falling in love with them and their country I Just hope that they dont become too complacent and spoil things for themselves before we do start looking elsewhere . Long may our love of turkey continue but I found myself comparing them with the Egyptians in the Red Sea this year who are very similar to the turks but they have more of an innocence about them and their gratitude towards us wanting to visit their country shines through. they remind me of how the turks used to be excited and eager to please
lyn

Interesting thread this. We have been going to Turkey for nearly ten years now. Without a shadow of a doubt there has been many changes. It is not as cheap as it was and you find you now pay more or less what you are paying in this country for food and drink in the good restaurants. The price of clothes has also increased quite a bit. And no doubt many of those in the bars and restaurants are possibly not as friendly as they once were.

That's the down side. Turkey however still has fabulous weather, it still has wonderful people who can't do enough for you (albeit not as many) it still has great restaurants where you can get excellent meals at very reasonable prices and for us it still has that something that draws us back year after year.

Rightly so, those who work in the bars and restaurants are enjoying a better standard of living. Ten years ago who would have thought that the waiters would have their own mobile phones, scooters and cars. They do now and I for one am glad. Perhaps the lack of friendly 'banter' in the shops is down to the fact that so many people complain about the 'hassle', seems to me they can't win.

These forums, in my opinion, have done so much to promote Turkey over the years and while I agree there are more negative posts than ever, I still think the vast majority indicate that Turkey, warts and all, is a great place to have your holiday.

Been to Egypt twice now and loved it, lovely people too, never been to Bulgaria but know many who think it's great. At the end of the day though it's still Turkey that draws us back.

Wilson

The only change I have noted in 3 years is the Beer price, Nothing else has changed whatsoever, And remember I have been fourteen times in that period of time.

You make a very good point there wilson. They do deserve the much better standard of living that they now have because by god do they work hard for it so we mustnt forget that and maybe there are a few warts that come with the territory but the beautiful country, on the whole fabulous people and an atmosphere that we have yet to find anywhere else is still there. your also right about the "hassle" situation. there were even a couple of shops I went in where the shopkeeper stayed sitting down and said nothing to me while I browsed. that is completely against their nature and i cant begin to imagine how hard they find that : I personally didnt like it and prefer the hassle ( . It is probably the fear in the air of being shut down and the fact they are finding it so hard to make money that is dragging them down and we are noticing it

lyn

Well I tend not to go to the same resort each year but I've read a lot on other forums about changes with prices and with the friendliness of locals. Wherever I have been and wherever I go I can't really say that I have found anyone other than wonderfully helpful and charming - but I do understand that for others who enjoy the banter there may have been a difference in recent years in larger resorts.

More expensive? Well yes maybe, but everything goes up in price over the years. You can't be expecting to pay the same price now as you did 10 or 15 years ago, just as things have risen in price here in the UK. I know for sure though that even on my first visit to Kusadasi back in 1988 that there was no such thing as the £1 breakfast. I, personally, would be leaving one hell of a big tip if I bought one of those. For many people though, that's what it's all about. Everything on the cheap and still expect the locals to be your best mate.

I think for me I have avoided the negative changes that a lot of people speak about by not going back to the same resorts each time. I daresay that a lot of people would be disappointed if the large resorts were the same as they were back in the eighties. Very cheap, but not a brit brekky in sight! Same with drinks.

If they get too greedy they will kill the goose that laid the golden egg. I have seen it majorca somewhere I have been 12 times. The euro came in prices double tourist stayed away. The bar and restaurant owner were force to lower prices. This july we were in majorca for week staying a at good 4* hotel H/B we spent £320 with buying lunches. We are not big drinkers but had a few every night when we were there, we didn't do excursions been there and done that. There is the 1 euro for pint in different bars and the breakfast £1.50-£2.00.

My mate went to tenerife 2 years ago, and turkey this year, he said tenerife was cheaper than turkey eating out and buying drinks. If spain is cheaper than turkey people will go back to spain, one of the biggest selling points of turkey was it is cheap and many tourist went because they can have a good time without breaking the bank, but thats gone now.

I am going to turkey next year and I am going to a good ultra A/I because its better value for money than staying s/c, bb or h/b. It doesn't mean we won't leave the hotel, we travel to experience different cultures, try different food, we will eat out some evenings and meet the people. What it will mean we wont be pestered by our daughters for money for drinks, ice cream and burgers, hot dogs pizza at lunch time , it gives my daughters independance by being able to get what they want to eat at lunch time, drinks and ice cream when they want to.

If the greed continues they will find themselve standing around wondering where all the tourist have gone. I believe when that happens the restaurant and bar owners will realise tourist have a choice and if they charge too much tourist will vote with their feet and stay away.

I dread to think what will happen to prices if turkey joins the eu and their currency is the euro, the bar and restaurant owners will waste no time raising their prices by a minimum of 50%. Before anybody says they use the euro in shops, bar and restaurant already, I know. In spain they had to price everything pts and euro's for the first 6 months but once the six month period was up went the prices once they didn'y have to display price in pts anymore. Just think of it this way 2.50 liras = £1 but 1.40 euro's = £1, if a drink cost 2.50 liras that would become 2.50 euro's. That drink which cost a £1 suddenly becomes a £1.80 drink. It happened happened thought out europe.

The people wil have a lower standard of living as employers convert their wages to the euro's excactle, but will the people will pay the higher prices, with a effective drop of 40% in their wages. I spoke to many people spain who worked in the hotels, bars and restaurants they told me all the prices have increased but their wages hadn't.

i agree ive been visiting turkey for 25 years now and around 3-5 times a year so ive noticed a big increase in prices , but i think the main increases have come over the last 2 years, we visitied the same restaurant this year as last year and on 1 occasion had the same meal and the bill was 50% higher, big shock for us.

having said all that i love the country, fab beaches, wonderful scenery especially when you get away from the main tourist resorts, guaranteed great weather, most of the people are lovely, but as said above they have lost their spark and i agree that its down to a lot of people complaining about the hassle, they are more subdued, i used to enjoy a small amount of light hassle and bartering, it was part of their culture and i think its a shame to have spoilt that.

i will still keep going and we are going in 2 weeks time

Newcomers to Turkey will be confused.

The postings on here about prices directly contradict most of the posts on the thread about spending money.

Either they are ripping people off or they are not, which is it?

Or is it like other destinations? You can find pricey bars and restaurants and you can find non pricey ones.

Karen . "Subdued " that is exactly the word I was looking for last night. But it is only in the shops that I have noticed it. We always stay A/I so wouldnt know about resturants and bars . the hotel staff all seem to be their usual bubbly selves but when you go outside of the hotel many but not all the shopkeekers look "deflated and demoralised". they are certainly feeling the pressure . personally I think in certain cases and im talking shops again we are feeling ripped off because the quality of the product be it a handbag /t shirt of whatever is still the same in most cases but the price is huge because the shop is having to pay so much in rent etc. Just as an example I bought my sons girlfriend a chloe handbag . most places wanted £50-60 for this handbag that probably a couple of years ago would of been £20 . After going to every shop i found someone that would sell me one £35. I was happy to spend £35 for a resonably decent handbag but 6 weeks later it is falling apart . thats the difference a few years ago we were willing to part with our hard earned cash as it was cheap and part of the fun was that it always fell apart. it didnt matter . but now it does matter because it isnt cheap anymore + we are now robbed of the fun of the banter and bartering that goes with it because they are frightened of giving us hassle.

lyn

simple.... there are too many of everything. They seem to think open a bar and make a fortune. It's the same ol'shitdifferentday scenario. Hopefully the mayors will refuse a lot more licenses this year and start on quality tourism.
The price of drinks is ridiculous, They try to justify saying their rents are high but it's not true. They are generally not business men/women and haven't got a clue about marketing. They just copy what they have seen next door.
I don't pay the crazy prices, there are still plenty of places to eat where prices are sensible. Just tell them they are too expensive and they might get the message. But whilst people pay the money and leave stupid tips then they will continue to grab!
Finally, a lot of these "owners" are from other parts of Turkey and try the resorts for a quick killing.......... it's killing the resorts quickly!

can we have a list of resorts or areas that are still pricing sensibly.
gocek near fethiye is one or it was last year.

I am going to side next year but staying at a ultra A/I with international branded spirits. The reason why I went A/I was the posts saying how much prices have gone up. I didn't want to go to blackpool on sea resort so choose antalya area. Places like marmaris don't have decent A/I hotels. I have worked out what I get in a 4*/5* hotel H/B compared to a A/I 4*/5* and its would be cheaper doing the A/I. And if I went S/C with the big prices increases the A/I would still work out cheaper in the long run.

"can't think of a username" I've done similar calculations myself in the past, however so far I just can't bring myself to commit to going AI. Not because it would be poor value, but because wandering around to select a nice restaurant for the evening and trying to find the bar with the cheapest beer is an important part of my holiday.

Maybe I should just try it, but isn't there a risk of going stir-crazy being tied to the same place for a fortnight?

Cheers.

Random Number

Maybe you can do A/I as I do. I still go out sometimes to eat in a restaurant and out to drink in a bar. Because its A/I doesn't mean you are tied to the hotel by a rope. It amazes how people go to a different country on A/I then spend every minute in the hotel. I have seen this with half board as well, sitting by the pool from 9am to 7pm. I couldn't think of something more boring and a waste of money. I suspect they take no money with them so have no choice but to stay in the hotel.

So A/I doesn't mean you are prisoner to the hotel and you won't go stir crazy, and you still wander around finding where the cheapest pint of efes is sold.

If you have never tried A/I you will never if you like it or not, you may find you love it.

its just a case of shopping round there are plenty of bars and restaurants that are cheap but if you want the tourist type restaurants and bars you will pay give me the real little turkish places anytime

we have been going to turkey 10 years now and in the last 5 years it has got expensive the drinks have got expensive,they are the same as uk prices and yes the people are not as friendly,this year because we wouldnt go to a place called micheals kitchen in the armatulan area of marmaris near the havana my wife and i were insulted by the guy who was there outside,the first this has happened inthe ten year wev been going to marmaris,the food is still cheap and clothes much the same as wev been going to the same shop for a number of years,most of the turkish people are brilliant tho and wev already booked for next year roll on may.

Just back from Antalya region, never been that far south before...... met people who had been in resort in April..... they reported a 30% increase in costs of foods and drinks in resorts...... with more rises expected!

I guess coming up to scratch for eurpean standards has be be funded somehow....

However, the operators of Dalaman airport need to do a recce to Antalya airport to see how things should be done. All that money at dalaman for a bad design will impactr on visitors.

Also, as costs rise all over the world, peoples time and money is precious, so we expect more for our money. A £5 a night pension just doesn't amke the grade if its your main holiday....