The duration of two important support decisions aimed at reducing the costs of businesses in the tourism sector has been extended. In his statement following the Cabinet Meeting, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that the reduction in accommodation tax will continue for another year and the support provided to employees in facilities with tourism operation certificates has been extended until 2028. Erdoğan said, “We are extending the accommodation tax discount that we started in April for another year. We have decided to extend the employee support we provide to our facilities with Ministry of Tourism operating certificates until 2028.”
ACCOMMODATION TAX 1 PERCENT
The first decision for the tourism sector was about the reduction in accommodation tax. The accommodation tax, normally applied at 2 percent, was reduced to 1 percent by the end of the year with the decision taken on May 1, 2026. With the new statement, it was decided to continue the discounted rate for another year. Accommodation tax; It is collected from overnight accommodation services offered in hotels, motels, holiday villages, hostels, apart hotels and similar facilities. Food and beverages, activities, entertainment and some services within the facility provided with accommodation are also included in the scope of the tax. The tax is shown separately on the invoice issued to the customer by the accommodation facilities.. Reducing the rate from 2 percent to 1 percent means that the accommodation tax calculated on the same tax base will be halved. Continuing the discount for another year will reduce the tax burden, especially for facilities with high accommodation revenues.
MONTHLY SUPPORT PER EMPLOYEE
The second decision concerns employment in the tourism sector. The support provided for those working in accommodation facilities that have an operating certificate from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism will be extended until 2028. In his statement in July, Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Işıkhan announced that 3 thousand 500 lira monthly support would be provided for each insured working in accommodation facilities that meet certain conditions. It was announced that 6 billion liras of resources were allocated for the tourism sector within the scope of this application. The extension of the support period with the new decision aims to reduce labor costs, especially for hotels and accommodation establishments that employ a large number of personnel.. Details on how the current conditions of the application will be maintained in terms of facilities and employees who will benefit from the support are expected to be announced by the relevant institutions.
TOURISM REVENUE EXCEEDED 51 BILLION DOLLARS
While announcing his support decisions, Erdoğan also shared figures regarding Türkiye’s tourism performance. According to the information provided by the President, Türkiye hosted 49 million 132 thousand visitors in the relevant period of 2026. Tourism revenue increased by 2.4 percent compared to the same period last year, reaching 51 billion 278 million dollars. While the average stay of visitors in Türkiye was announced as 10.34 nights, the average spending per person per night increased by 4.6 percent to 107.7 dollars.. It is stated that the government’s two support decisions aim to limit the costs of tourism businesses and protect employment in the sector. It is aimed to alleviate the cost pressure of the sector in the coming period by extending the tax discount and continuing the employee support until 2028.
