Travel with Katie Butler: Turkey – don’t knock it till you try it

Katie Butler writes: I guess you are wandering what on earth this could mean.

When the summer starts in May and throughout our summer months it is an extremely popular time to book a last minute holiday, usually to travel within eight-12 weeks of booking.

We find that many customers may have ruled out a summer holiday and then decide quite late – that they do indeed want to go on an overseas holiday after all.

Ordinarily, late deal customers just want to get away at some point – to somewhere – and at a price that suits their budget.

Hence 'Martini months’ – from the iconic song – Any Time, Any Place, Anywhere in the 1970s Martini adverts.

When we are looking for a good deal for our customers we always ask the question – “Is there anywhere that you don't want to go to?”

And Turkey is the most common response.

Turkey is one of our best selling destinations for the summer months and yet for some reason so many make the decision that it is somewhere they don't want to go, quite often without even trying it.

As travel agents we like to see different places, it helps us to do our job more effectively and offer first-hand experiences.

Last week Karen returned from Turkey after many years of also not fancying the idea of a holiday to this destination.

And guess what – Karen and her husband absolutely loved it and already can't wait to go back again!

We asked Karen to sum up what she loved about it and it seems pretty much everything; the weather, the turquoise sea, the food, the amazing welcome at the hotel and of course the shopping!

The shopkeepers however can be quite 'enthusiastic' in trying to entice you into their shops and it's hard to resist the bargains on offer.

Karen’s advice for a holiday to Turkey is to prepare to be hot and take a spare suitcase for all the shopping and gifts that you will more than likely want to bring back home.

There are some amazing hotels in Turkey, many offering lots of great facilities including a choice of restaurants to dine in, many even with their own waterparks!

Turkey is certainly a destination that offers more for your money.

Many, like Karen, absolutely love it after their first visit.

As the saying goes – 'Don't knock it til you've tried it’.

Travel is such a social industry to work in and we are often invited to events by our wonderful suppliers and hoteliers.

Last week our whole team were invited to a night out at the dog racing in Sheffield and this week we will be enjoying cocktails at 'Dirty Martini' in Leeds courtesy of Jet2holidays and their Big Night Out event (we may have a few sore heads on Friday).

A whopping 20 per cent of our bookings made last week were to travel within the next 12 weeks and our top selling destinations remained Majorca and of course Turkey.