Aside from any climatic considerations, Turkey is hot in another very important way. Its resort towns are booming tourist destinations for both Europeans and North Americans and this looks set to continue for the long term. The benefit to the real estate and rental market is huge and significant. Some of the most popular destinations are listed below.
Bodrum
Bodrum is a port in Turkey. It is on the Bodrum peninsula, near the northwestern entrance to the Gulf of Gökova, and faces the Greek island of Kos. Today, it is a center for tourism and sailing. The city is a very popular tourist center for Northern Europeans due to its attractive coastline and active nightlife. Every year at least a few hundred thousand tourists visit Bodrum.
Bodrum has a typical Mediterranean climate, characterized by hot summers and mild winters. The summer season runs from May to October, providing a sea water temperature of up to 23°C and a daily temperature of around 30°C. Summers are hot and dry, with the hottest months being July and August.
The first golf course in the region, the Vita Golf and Country Club, is located in Bodrum. It has an 18-hole PGA standard golf course. European Golf Design will build a new golf course and it will be located 25 km from Bodrum, near the village of Mumeular.
Returns of 40 percent or more per year on real estate have been reported in Bodrum. Although each case and investment is different, and the timing is critical, buying property in Bodrum has great potential for profit with minimal risk.
The two main airports of Bodrum and Izmir allow millions of thousands of tourists to visit the area. Bodrum is located in Mugla province, which has brought in a quarter of all tourism receipts in Turkey, around $2.5 billion (£1.3 billion).
The Mugla province has been chosen by the Turkish government as a model for it to implement a real estate form similar to that used in Spain and other countries. The planned increase in the number of golf courses in Bodrum will have a positive impact on rental returns: golf has always attracted tourists.
ease of access
Bodrum has a modern airport, with several flights from Istanbul arriving daily. The airport is about 36 km northeast of Bodrum, about 30 minutes by car. Thomas Cook operates direct flights to Bodrum from May to October from a number of UK airports including: Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester and Newcastle. Bodrum can be reached by sea from Kos and Rhodes (Greek islands). Daily ferry and hydrofoil services from Kos and Rhodes to Bodrum are available during the summer season. By road, there are many intercity bus companies that operate bus services to Bodrum from other major Turkish cities such as Ankara, Izmir, Adana, Bursa and Konya.
Belek Belek is located between Antalya and Alanya on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. It was recently chosen as the “tourism model for the next 1,000 years” by the Turkish Ministry for
Tourism.
Belek is located in the province of Antalya and is nicknamed the “Turkish Riviera” due to its role as the tourism capital of Turkey. Belek is home to 32 four- and five-star hotels and 6 golf courses, including the National Golf Club, which was designed by Ryder Cup player David Feherty, with plans for another 15.
In fact, Belek’s goal is to become Turkey’s premier golf region in the next few years, and the huge development projects currently underway should help make this a reality. Golf legend Nick Faldo is even designing a signature 27-hole golf course at the Cornelia De Luxe Resort in Belek, scheduled to open in late 2006. The resort itself will feature its own 300-room premium-level hotel and several associated golf villas. .
Belek has a prosperous economy. Antalya International Airport is planning 2 new terminals to handle the increased passenger traffic. An interconnecting coastal route has also been built, at a cost of around $1bn (£5bn).
In addition, the $40 million (£20.5 million) Tourist Roads and Rehabilitation Scheme will upgrade roads to cater for the expected increase in visitor numbers to the region.
Belek is home to 6 golf courses, including the National Golf Club, with a further 6 currently under construction. In 2005, foreign real estate investment increased by 40 percent. The British form an important component of these investors. Other countries include: Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. Stand-alone villas with private pools and easy beach access were the most popular option.
New golf villas can be priced at up to EUR150,000 (£100,733), making them very reasonable compared to other parts of Europe. Belek has a number of world class golf courses including the Turkish National Golf Club plus 5 others including: The Pasha – stunning scenery with undulating greens, The Sultan – golf in a forest setting and the Gloria Golf Resort situated by the sea with wide challenging fairways and water hazards.
The government plans to install another 15 courses over the next 10 years with golf legends Nick Faldo and Jack Nicklaus overseeing the design of 2 of the courses. Since golf has always been a major factor in the success of real estate markets around the world, these developments will further establish Belek as one of the world’s leading golf resorts.
ease of access
Belek is just under a 4 hour flight from London and just a 3 hour flight from mainland Europe. The nearest international airport is in Antalya, which is approximately 30 minutes away and is the second busiest airport on the Mediterranean coast.
Altinkum
Altinkum is located on the southern Aegean coast of Turkey; Altinkum is popular with British tourists traveling on package holidays. Altinkum differs from Bodrum in that it is small and quiet, making it perfect for families who prefer a much quieter, slower pace. The main attractions of the resort town are its three long sandy beaches that stretch from the small harbor at one end of a gently sloping bay to a rocky cliff at the other end. The name Altinkum means ‘golden sands’.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has designated a number of Tourism Development Areas along the coast, where state land is sold to developers as part of a series of master plans. The government will make considerable investment in infrastructure in these areas and promises good potential returns.
Altinkum is one such area to watch. As it is close to Bodrum, it benefits from the economic investments described above for Bodrum.
Ease of access Altinkum is 1 hour 30 minutes by transfer from Bodrum Airport and 1 hour 45 minutes from Izmir Airport. There are ferries to Bodrum from Altinkum Didim every day in summer. Altinkum Marina is currently under construction.
With resorts like these, it’s no wonder Turkey is the warmest country in Europe.
