Holiday Opportunities for Retirees
To ease the financial burden on retirees, several projects were developed in 2017. Created through cooperation between banks and government ministries, one of these initiatives focused on offering affordable holidays for retirees. This program, designed to provide a holiday opportunity for retirees, targets travel in September and October. Importantly, the accommodation offered is not ordinary guesthouses but five-star hotels that many would like to visit but typically cannot afford.
Under this retirement holiday initiative, participants are expected to travel during September or October and stay for five days. Normally, a five-day stay at a five-star hotel would require a substantial budget running into thousands of Turkish Lira. However, with this program, the five-day holiday can be paid in installments of 130 Turkish Lira per month, bringing the total cost to 650 Turkish Lira.
Ministry-Supported Holidays for Retirees
The tourism sector suffered significantly during recent political events, and although those difficult times have passed, the state and hotels have taken measures to prevent a similar downturn in the future. The Ministry of Labour and Social Security launched a program targeting the tourism industry and retirees. Announced by Minister Mehmet Müezzinoğlu, the scheme was promoted under the slogan “1 million retirees on holiday.”
According to Müezzinoğlu’s statements, discussions were held with hotel operators and Turkish Airlines (THY) to create retirement holiday opportunities. As a result, agreements were reached across the Aegean and Mediterranean regions. The project was set to begin in September and continue through March. By offering a variety of packages with different lengths of stay, the program aims to reach one million retirees.
The initiative not only provides discounted hotel rates but also includes reduced airfare secured through talks with Turkish Airlines. This combination ensures retirees will have affordable options for both travel and accommodation, making holiday arrangements much easier.
Holidays for Retirees from 650 TL
Alongside the ministry’s program, the Turkish Retirees Association launched a complementary project. According to Emin Tangören, Head of the Projects Group at the Turkish Retirees Association, packages were developed for four nights and five days in Alanya and three nights and four days in Dalyan. These packages were priced at a total of 650 TL, with payments spread over five months at 130 TL per month.
In addition to the ministry-backed packages, the Turkish Retirees Association announced discounts for trips booked at hotels outside the standard package network. Retirees choosing non-package hotels could receive a 30% discount. Applications for these programs were to be accepted in September, with travel taking place between October and March. Looking at previous years, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and the Turkish Retirees Association have both launched special winter initiatives as well, and similar arrangements are expected to be available during the winter season.