Ski resorts in Türkiye slash prices by up to 40%, following Kartalkaya tragedy

Hotels in renowned ski resorts in Türkiye began to discount prices by up to 40%, as customers started to cancel their reservations following the hotel fire tragedy, which claimed 78 lives in Bolu’s Kartalkaya.

The disaster, which was caused by significant inspection failures, led many to cancel their ski trips due to concerns about the safety of themselves and their families.

Ski hotels, which entered the mid-term holiday with nearly 100% occupancy, saw reservations canceled but refrained from issuing refunds in most cases.

Rooms left vacant by these cancellations were re-marketed with discounts ranging from 20% to 40%, and some websites are offering an additional discount in the form of a ₺1,500 ($42.10) ski coupon, business-focused patronlardunyasi.com reported.

Hotels increase safety measures

Meanwhile, in response to customers calling to request detailed information about fire safety measures, some ski hotels prepared brochures featuring photos that explain their fire precautions. Some hotels have also started preparing for fire drills.

At the Grand Kartal Hotel in Bolu’s Kartalkaya, one of Türkiye’s major ski resorts, a fire broke out on Jan. 21 at around 3:30 a.m. (GMT+3). The fire started in the restaurant section of the 12-story hotel, which had a wooden exterior.

The flames spread quickly, and the hotel, which was operating at 80%-90% occupancy during the mid-term holiday with 238 guests, suffered heavy losses, as 78 people lost their lives, and 51 were injured.

Details that emerged following the fire revealed that the hotel lacked smoke detectors, fire suppression systems, alarm bells, and emergency exit doors.

The Kartalkaya ski resort, located about 295 kilometers (183 miles) east of Istanbul, is one of Türkiye’s premier winter destinations, attracting thousands of tourists each season.