The agreement to travel to the Greek islands with a 7-day visa on arrival has boosted domestic tourists, a Turkish publication writes.
Accommodation and holiday costs on the 10 islands included in the deal start at around 10 thousand TL.
When it was announced that there will be a 7-day visa exemption for Turkish citizens visiting the Greek islands, the first question that came to mind was: "What is the current cost of such a holiday?".
Turkey and Greece are two sides of the same sea... Mykonos, Santorini, Rhodes, Lesvos, Crete... These islands, which are very similar to the Anatolian coast with the same culture, sea and weather, and have the consistency of a summer resort, were the favourite locations of local holidaymakers until the 2020s.
However, due to rapidly rising exchange rates and difficulties in obtaining visas for European countries, domestic tourists have turned to domestic resorts in recent years.
This new decision, which allows entry to 10 Greek islands with a visa on arrival, has made the islands one of the popular choices for holiday plans again.
This time, finding an "affordable programme" for holidaymakers is much more important than in previous years. However, according to those who have experience of holidays on both sides of the sea, holidays on the Greek border are cheaper than in popular resorts such as Alikarnassos, Cesme and Kas, despite the exchange rate difference, according to the website echedoros.gr.
Gizem Temel Erin, a sales and marketing specialist in Istanbul, is of the opinion that holidays on the Greek islands are cheaper than going to many bays in Turkey:
"It's cheaper holidays"
"Despite the high value of the euro against the TL, imagine that you can have a lower budget holiday on the islands than going to Halicarnassus, it is possible. You can have a nice holiday for about 15 thousand pounds. Mykonos and Santorini are expensive islands, but Thassos, Rhodes and Crete are more affordable.
There are many beautiful bays in Turkey, especially on the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts. We used to go to the coves of the Dardanelles (Chanakkale) for holidays. We pay high seasonal rents for a campsite somewhere on the coast. A table in a tavern costs from 5 thousand pounds to 8 thousand pounds. They raise the prices more and more because Turks come here often. There is such a situation in tourist centres.
The islands are not like that, there is no price increase according to supply. When we figured it all out, we realized that we could take a vacation on a smaller budget if we went to the islands instead of the Dardanelles coast.
Full service in the taverns
Most islands are like Ayvalik. The places are not too fancy or noisy. It has a fun resort atmosphere. The accommodation prices are reasonable despite the exchange rate difference.
For example, a day's accommodation for two people in Thassos costs 25 euros. The snacks in the taverns are delicious and there is a wide variety. Zucchini, mussels, squid, shrimps... The portions are large, tasty and filling. The seafood in particular was huge. Drink their traditional drink, ouzo, or other beverage. On the most expensive island you pay 40 euros for two people and walk away from the table. On reasonably priced islands you pay 20 euros. It's more expensive to go out at night in Turkey, especially in popular holiday areas. When we went to the tavern in Kaş in the summer, we paid almost 4 thousand pounds. You look at the receipt, they add service charge, cover charge and add more.
Suggestion.
Petrol is more expensive on the islands than in Turkey. But in Turkey, when you fill up your vehicle's tank with petrol and drive off, you have enough for the duration of your holiday on the island. You don't need to refill there again. Those who buy petrol from Turkey buy it cheaper and avoid extra costs. The transport is comfortable. We boarded the ferry with our own vehicle. The current ticket price is 80 euros round trip. We drove around the island and returned with a tank of gasoline in the car. We could not get from Istanbul to Halicarnassus and back with one fill-up. It is difficult to explore on foot because the islands are large and have very steep slopes. Motorbikes can be rented. There are also vacationers who come in their own cars or rent a car or ATV. Public transportation is also an alternative. But sometimes they are very busy and there is no room.
Tourism in Greece is not speculative
Greeks generally do not like to work hard. For this reason, tourism on the islands is not particularly speculative. There are no decoys coming and going or jumping suddenly in front of you. You rent a house, you do your shopping. You cook it and eat it yourself.
There are very long beaches and there is generally no entrance fee to the beaches, but you are asked to spend a certain amount. Some of them charge 25 euros for renting umbrellas and sunbeds. In addition, a section of each beach is reserved for the public. No beach or hotel management can say "This is a private business" and close the beach to the public. You can easily go to a private beach, throw a towel on the beach and use the beach for free. "The person who goes there doesn't have to rent anything."
Leyla Tütüncü, a restaurant manager in Antalya, draws attention to the growing professions on the south coast and believes that the main difference between the Greek islands is their regular structure.
"There is Mafia on many beaches in the (Turkish) south"
"In the south, in resort areas such as Kaş, Kemer, Alanya and Halicarnassus, hotels and private beaches have iron platforms attached to the bays where not a single nail can be driven because they are naturally protected areas.
There is an incredible leakage and it is increasing. The mafia has descended on many beaches. While public access to these bays is a constitutional right, guards greet you at the entrance and you are required to give the car to the valet.
Once you get over it, the manager stands in front of you, you can't enter with your pet, you pay an exorbitant amount for sunbeds and umbrellas and you are also faced with the obligation to spend a certain amount of money.
If you object to these practices and say, 'This is a natural protected area and the beaches belong to the public', you are threatened.
I think that is the most typical difference in island holidays. Everyone who comes to the beach can swim for free. The rules are clear, the penalties are heavy and enforced. Illegal practices are also deterred by the government. "The beaches are like the bays of Antalya, only crowded."
Istanbul organiser Serkan Erin also warns holidaymakers of possible queues at the gates after visa liberalisation
"Prepare for queues"
"The visa at the gate will be paid between 120-200 euros per person at a time. The last time I applied for a regular visa, it was 100 euros and it was for a long time.
So now it's more expensive. Getting to the islands is now a little bit more difficult. There are too many queues at the entrance and they move slowly. It's very crowded, especially on weekends. You have to get there early. If the ferry is leaving at 9am, you need to be there a few hours early. Those planning a holiday should book everything in advance. Transportation tickets, hotel reservations, restaurant reservations... Everything should be ready. To enter the islands with a visa at the gate, you have to go by ferry. For this reason it will not be possible to go to remote islands like Mykonos with a visa at the gate.
Reasonable price policy
Accommodation prices vary depending on location, but the average cost for a double hotel room is between 150 - 200 euros. Today, Cesme, Alaçatı, Kaş and Halicarnassus are quite expensive destinations.
The Greek islands are much more convenient. You can find beautiful locations with delicious seafood that you can reach much faster than going to the Mediterranean and the Aegean.
When I went to Kavala a month ago, I came across a very reasonable price policy. This also applies to an island like Santorini. Let me give an example of the restaurants we went to.
I paid 25 euros for 800 grams of meat in a restaurant. The amount I paid for 2 octopus, squid, salad and 4 beers in the tavern was 27 euros, which is about 900 pounds. In Turkey we pay 600 lire just for the beers of this table, we cannot leave a pub with a bill of less than 5 thousand lire. When you go to a very luxurious restaurant on the islands, you can pay from 100 to 200 euros, but the only alternative is not expensive menus.
"Cocktails on a popular beach for 4-5 euros"
For Greeks, life starts at night. On some islands the fun starts in the evening and continues until first light in the morning.
But there are no long nightly entertainments or parties on the islands aimed at marine tourism.
In Greece, the beaches belong to the people. So any private beach business must make a place aside for the public. A member of the public can enter and benefit from the sea and the beach without paying any operating costs.
When I went to the beach, I paid 25 euros per person for sunbeds and umbrellas and 50 euros for two people. When you enter a beach in Cesme, there is talk of very high numbers. When I compare one of the most popular beaches in Cesme with a beach of the same size in Mykonos, there is definitely a big difference in what you pay. "The cocktails I had in Mykonos were 4-5 euros, there are no cocktails under 500 pounds on our popular beaches."
120 - 200 Euros the cost of the visa
The seven-day visa application on arrival was also approved by the European Union Commission last week. You can visit the islands of Rhodes, Kos, Samos, Chios, Chios, Kastelorizo, Symi, Leros, Lemnos, Lesvos and Kalymnos for 7 days
At present, the cost of a visa, including the brokerage service fee, ranges between 120-200 euros.
