Türkiye Tops Summer Travel Trends, But What About Prices?

According to Google’s 2025 Summer Travel Trends data, Türkiye ranks first among the most searched holiday destinations. As one of the world’s top tourism hotspots and a country that has consistently increased its foreign visitor numbers since the pandemic, Türkiye’s visibility in the digital world is a welcome sight.

In Google’s 2025 Summer Trends list, the most searched destinations within Türkiye are Antalya, Bodrum, and Kuşadası.

Following Türkiye, here are the most searched summer tourism destinations by country:

– Greece (Lefkada, Paros, Santorini, Crete)
– Italy (Puglia, Sicily, Sardinia)
– Egypt (Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh)
– Malta (Valletta, Mdina, Gozo)
– Portugal (Lisbon, Porto, Algarve)
– Southern Cyprus (Greek Cypriot Administration) (Paphos, Larnaca)

The fact that the entire list is made up of Mediterranean countries highlights how demand during the summer months still largely revolves around the classic trio: sea, sun, and sand.

But here’s the real question: Has being on Google’s 2025 Summer Trends list translated into actual visitor increases for these Turkish hotspots?

Since the start of the season, there have been growing complaints, especially in Bodrum and other resort towns, about declining foreign tourist numbers and a changing visitor profile. We’ve all seen the viral social media posts: outrageous bills, empty streets, and quiet restaurants. What used to be expensive only for locals now feels too costly even for foreign visitors.

Prices in popular destinations like Fethiye, Marmaris, and Bodrum, which are typically preferred by tourists from Germany, the UK, and Northern Europe, have caught up with competing Mediterranean countries such as Greece, Spain, France, and Portugal. In some cases, costs for accommodation and dining have even surpassed those of Europe.

Tourism professionals, once confident that “tourists will come no matter what,” had mentally written off the domestic traveler. But now that international tourists are also pulling away, many are scrambling to diversify their markets and reduce risk. Some experts are even calling summer 2025 a “lost season” for many destinations.

And let’s not forget the all-inclusive model, which encourages millions of foreign tourists to remain inside hotel campuses from check-in to departure. This system leaves virtually no spending outside hotel walls and arguably causes more harm than good to the local economy. Especially in an era where we should be adopting more sustainable, resource-conscious practices, the all-inclusive model promotes overconsumption and discourages exploration.

SO, HOW DO PRICES COMPARE ABROAD?

With comments like “Türkiye is too expensive; we’re going to Spain or Greece instead” becoming more common on travel forums and social media, it’s time to ask: Is Türkiye really more expensive than the competition?

To find out, I compared 5-star hotels offering bed-and-breakfast accommodation for 6 nights and 7 days across trending destinations from Google’s 2025 list. I paid special attention to segment matching, selecting cities with similar brand perception and market positioning in each country. Rather than comparing Bodrum to Marmaris or Çeşme to Mykonos, I aligned destinations more evenly by tourism segment.

HOTEL PRICE COMPARISON

August 4–10, 2025 | 6 nights, 7 days
5-star hotels with pools | Bed & breakfast | 2 adults – 1 room
Source: Hotels.com | Search Date: July 6, 2025

From most expensive to least: