Turkish Tourism Faces Criticism Over Declining Quality and Controversial Nightlife in Marmaris

Dancers at the Salt N Pepper Bar by Olivia West

With the summer season now open, Türkiye has been discussing its tourism policies for the past few weeks.

Türkiye’s tourism revenue in 2024 exceeded $61 billion; more than $60 billion of this revenue came from international visitors, and $606 million came from transit travelers. As the numbers suggest, Türkiye is a highly preferred destination for holidays, with its well-developed tourism infrastructure and a range of accommodations, from luxury hotels to budget options.

Although this is the popular opinion, there is another group that argues that in the last couple of years, the quality of tourism in Türkiye has been declining. The recent news from Marmaris, a very touristic area in Türkiye, proves that this is true, showing the fall in hotel reservations. Under the instruction of the Marmaris District Governor, public order and patrol teams affiliated with the District Police Department have conducted inspections in the Içmeler, Uzunyalı, and Armutalan regions to address some complaints and assess breaches of regulations, such as a lack of documentation. The police closed 14 businesses that were found not to comply with the rules and reported that inspections would continue. While 2 of these businesses were closed permanently, a temporary sealing penalty was applied to the other 12. Additionally, the media reported that many complaints were filed in these areas due to torch shows, nude dance performances, and disturbing behaviors towards local and foreign tourists.

Tigers Tavern owner Mehmet Can Korkmaz and his girlfriend, Lauren, by Olivia West

While these concerns have only recently made headlines in Türkiye, it turns out that some countries have addressed these topics in the past. For example, The Sun, a tabloid newspaper from the UK, has touched upon this matter in one of their news articles dated back to August 2024. The article called the businesses at Marmaris “Lust Resorts.” The article states, “In the UK, female dancers and bar staff are the norm. But in Marmaris, Türkiye, every beach bar showcases buff, young male staff who are topless, oiled up and putting on sexy performances for pleasure-seekers, including thousands of Brits. The holiday hotspot has surged in popularity among British women, many from the younger crowd, with throngs jetting out each summer in search of a steamy beach romance.” Furthermore, the article mentions some of the businesses that British women mostly go to, such as “Tigers Tavern” and “Salt N Pepa Bar,” where the night is getting into full swing with steamy music and a group of topless dancers thrusting leather belts between their legs, putting on a show for the tourists. Visitors say that “Back home, you would be shelling out a fortune for a Dreamboys show to witness this level of action. Here it is part of the nightly entertainment.”

Ever since the shutdown of these nightclubs, videos and photos have been going around social media, with many calling Marmaris a different version of Thailand, where, rather than ladyboys, Turkish men are dancing on top of tables with their skinny pants and naked upper bodies.

Though prostitution is legal in Türkiye, those who promote and facilitate prostitution are subject to imprisonment for a term of two to four years. Therefore, it isn’t unexpected for many to learn about these nightclubs only in recent weeks, as they aren’t directly promoted by their controversial performances.

While Türkiye had long been dealing with fluctuating prices, overpriced beach clubs that occupy public beaches, and fraud, the accusations of increasing “sex clubs” have only recently become this serious. The future of Turkish tourism might be in serious danger.

Edited by: Melisa Altıntaş