Bookings for 2017

[onelove]

Just wondering how bookings are going for 2017 so far ?

Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=13560.0

[Mayday1]

At the moment very few enquiries for 2017. For our bookings for 2016,we had booked a lot by end of December 2015 and a lot more by april 2016.....we had 2 cancellations due to the various perceived problems,....... I believe 2017 may also be a difficult year for bookings in Kalkan although I would love to be proved wrong

[Sezkalkan]

I've actually got 11 weeks booked. Had these bookings quite early on but not had any enquiries for a while.  Had a couple from Owners Direct, one from Kalkan Secrets, one via Face Book and one via KEP so it goes to show you need to spread your wings!  I expect it to be quiet now though until the New Year.

[felicity]

3 weeks...and 1 of those are friends...very bad....very few enquiries....more scam ones from OD than real ones!! Looks like it will be another tough year..

[onelove]

Wow sezkalkan thought we were doing well with 10 weeks of bookings confirmed so far, albeit, fingers crossed we have another  2 weeks pending

Good luck Fliss I hope your bookings improve 👍

As a footnote we too have had Loads of scam enquiry's, can spot them a mile of now

For info our 10 bookings are spread even between Owners Direct & Homeaway, 5 each.

We have had 3 bookings in the last 3 weeks so feeling confident, hope my confidence is not misguided though 🤔

[Sezkalkan]

You're doing well OneLove.  The strange thing is, most of mine for next year are for 2 weeks, whereas this year they were mainly one weekers.  Onwards and upwards.

[Anne]

Not doing well for 2017, just 4 weeks booked.  I note from the earlier emails some owners are using a variety of websites to advertise.  I gave up with OD after all the issues and have been happy with Holiday Lettings, but I am thinking of the comment by sezkalkan that you need to spread your advertising and looking at additional options.  We do have our own website but I know it isn't search engine friendly so doesn't attract any custom these days.  I was looking at Homeaway but the reviews are dreadful on the service and I understand they make a service charge to guests which I am not too keen on.  So what are the views on the best sites  to advertise?

[hobbo]

Ann HomeAway are the owners of OwnersDirect ... A lot of the changes to OwnersDirect have been introduced by HomeAway.

We have 9 weeks booked but that includes friends and family. Nothing apart from scams seem to be coming from Ownersdirect,  and HollidayLettings have been very quiet for 6 months..

[Wendy]

A big fat zero so far. Both for the villa and the apartment. We are using
KEP, trip advisor, OD can go away! I will just leave the property there on a commission only basis. Oh we are with Kalkan Secrets too plus my web page and Facebook and instagram.

[MartynE]

The good news is that enquiries generally have picked up since Christmas. However, people are (understandably) cautious and VERY price conscious when enquiring. WE have had to discount quite heavily to get bookings and even then it's been hard work!

There still aren't anything like the level of enquiries we had this time two years ago, however, and the two recent incidents won't have helped; even though it's a fact that Turkey is no more dangerous than any other European country, the vivid and uncompromising news reports are still fresh in people's minds.

We are not giving in without a fight though. There is a new facebook page, dedicated to spreading the word about how safe people actually feel when they come to Turkey. It might help persuade a few doubters. If you would like to add your own positive views about holidaying in Turkey, please feel free! 686 members in less than two days indicates that there's a lot of support for a page like this: https://www.facebook.com/groups/227129864404919/227976214320284

[annav]

We had only 2 weeks booked for september but then this week we had 3 people wanting to book, one of which led to a firm booking in June and another we had to turn down as it overlapped that booking-typical! Im feeling slightly more confident now about potential bookings but we'll see how it goes.

[Faywray]

Hi
We are not owners but we have been coming to our beloved Kalkan for 5 years now. We have provisionally booked our normal accommodation, which is beautiful but not cheap by anyone's wallet. But now we find the flights we normally get , even changing the date by a week or two are over twice the price they were last year.
With that and the cost of our accommodation it's too much for a second holiday. We want to go to new places each year and return to Kalkan in September as an extra 10 days.
Maybe it's not the tourists that are scared maybe it's the airlines prices.

[hobbo]

Faywray, very true, we rent our villa and last year we had 3 weeks empty because flights for these dates were very expensive, one family of 6 flying from Scotland were about to book a week in Kalkan until they found the cheapest flights were >£600 per person.. and 2 weeks in Aug where a family of 5 wanted to book but cheapest flights to fit were £375 per person +luggage

there is currently a survey being run jointly by KTLN and Fethiye Times looking for feedback please take part http://kalkan.turkishlocalnews.com/portal/kalkan-news/504424-take-part-in-the-ktln-and-fethiye-times-joint-survey-on-dalaman-airport

[Blue Lizard]

Not everyones cup of tea I know but two mates of mine have booked 10 days all inclusive 4* in Antalya including flights in june for £350 each+£25 booking fee....they went last year for the same deal and loved it...I think with the problems more offers like this will be coming up from the big tour companys to fill spaces ..We have noticed recent the years that planes are full but they go to the big resorts when they get off, for families especially with kids it's a no brainer......

[bankieken]

Faywray, very true, we rent our villa and last year we had 3 weeks empty because flights for these dates were very expensive, one family of 6 flying from Scotland were about to book a week in Kalkan until they found the cheapest flights were >£600 per person.. and 2 weeks in Aug where a family of 5 wanted to book but cheapest flights to fit were £375 per person +luggage

There is currently a survey being run jointly by KTLN and Fethiye Times looking for feedback please take part http://kalkan.turkishlocalnews.com/portal/kalkan-news/504424-take-part-in-the-ktln-and-fethiye-times-joint-survey-on-dalaman-airport

Been trying to book flights from Glasgow to Dalaman - arriving July and heading back in August.  Thomas Cook are not flying Glasgow - Dalaman / Dalaman - Glasgow anytime in August! Only other operator is Jet2 and they are way more expensive than last year. ThomasCook couldn't give me a reason (usual awful customer service).

[suziq]

Easy Jet are flying from Edinburgh to Dalaman twice a week. We got very reasonable flights for October,  not sure what high season would be though.

[Faywray]

Not everyones cup of tea I know but two mates of mine have booked 10 days all inclusive 4* in Antalya including flights in june for £350 each+£25 booking fee....they went last year for the same deal and loved it...I think with the problems more offers like this will be coming up from the big tour companys to fill spaces ..We have noticed recent the years that planes are full but they go to the big resorts when they get off, for families especially with kids it's a no brainer......

A friend of mine has booked a week in the Marmaris, some self catering apartments for two people with Monarch if I remember rightly. It's £320 per person a week including flights, luggage and transfers. They are not going to take the accommodation but tell the rep on arrival they have their own accommodation and transfers and will be coming to Kalkan instead. The £320 per person is £100 plus cheaper than they can get flight only for the time they need to travel.
It's absurd! I will be so sad if we cannot go to Kalkan this year. I look forward to it from the time I get in the hire car back to the airport ..well after I have stopped weeping from saying bye to our friends.. 😢
If we can't we will have our main holiday in June/July 2018 there.

[bankieken]

Easy Jet are flying from Edinburgh to Dalaman twice a week. We got very reasonable flights for October,  not sure what high season would be though.

Easyjet from Edinburgh are cheapest at the moment but you then need to factor in the transfer costs at £65 each way or choose airport parking so we will wait a little longer before deciding what to do.  Will definitely come to Kalkan but may lose a week or so on our holiday stay length.