In a not-so-bright season for tourism operators, hundreds of small and medium-sized accommodation businesses faced a serious crisis due to the non-payment of online booking platform Otelz.com.
According to reports, many hotels and pensions have still not received the payments they were supposed to receive in June.
Businesses, especially in the Aegean and Mediterranean regions, report that they are experiencing major cash flow problems as they are unable to collect the revenues from room sales during the season.
The operator of a hotel operating in the Aegean Region told Halkweb that OtelZ has put them in a very difficult situation and said the following:
“These payments are vital for small businesses like us. Since the beginning of the season, millions of liras of receivables have accumulated, but no payment has been made from Otelz. This situation is not only financially but also psychologically exhausting for the operators.”
Industry representatives point out that delayed payments not only damage individual businesses but also Turkey's tourism ecosystem. Small hotels are struggling to meet employee salaries, supplier payments and taxes, leading to an erosion of confidence across the sector.
It was learned that some businesses started enforcement proceedings for their receivables.
Tourism experts say that the crisis has highlighted the need to reorganize the contracts and control mechanisms between online booking platforms and hotels in the sector.
No public statement has been made from the Otelz front so far.