ANEX Group expects to bring approximately 800,000 visitors to Türkiye from German-speaking markets in 2026, while targeting around €1 billion in revenue in Germany. Yasir Karaçor, the group’s director for Germany and Austria, outlined the company’s performance, profitability strategy, destination expansion and priorities for the 2027 season in an interview with German travel industry publication fvw.
ANEX expects an 11% increase in visitors to Türkiye
Karaçor said ANEX was satisfied with its business performance in 2026 despite challenges facing the tourism industry, particularly the war involving Iran. At the beginning of the year, the company’s sales were approximately 40% higher than in the same period of 2025.
Following the outbreak of the conflict, however, uncertainty prompted many travellers to postpone their booking decisions, leading to a decline in reservations for Türkiye. Despite this slowdown, ANEX’s strong booking base meant that visitor numbers in Antalya remained above the previous year’s level at the end of September.
Karaçor added that the company had recently increased its capacity again within a short period.
In 2025, ANEX brought approximately 720,000 visitors to Türkiye from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The group expects this figure to reach around 800,000 during the 2026 season, which concludes at the end of October.
If achieved, the target would enable ANEX to retain its position as the largest German tour operator bringing tourists to Türkiye. According to Karaçor, the company carries approximately one-quarter of all tourists travelling from Germany to Türkiye.
Germany revenue expected to reach €1 billion
ANEX’s revenue in Germany is expected to reach approximately €1 billion in 2026, compared with around €900 million in 2025.
Karaçor said the company was focusing on operational efficiency and digitalisation to improve profitability, with the aim of limiting the extent to which rising costs are passed on to customers.
Long-standing, trust-based relationships with hotel and airline partners allow ANEX to develop solutions that benefit both sides, he explained. The company’s modest improvement in profitability is being driven by effective planning and high occupancy rates rather than budget cuts.
Karaçor put ANEX’s current operating profit margin at approximately 2–3%, with a medium-term target of increasing it to between 3% and 4%. He described such a margin as a strong result for the tourism industry, where operating margins are generally low.
ANEX rejects link between media reports and operations
Karaçor also addressed media reports in Türkiye concerning Neşet Koçkar, chairman of the ANEX Tourism Group.
He said the reports did not reflect the facts and that the matter had no connection with ANEX Travel Group’s commercial activities, financial structure or operations. According to Karaçor, Koçkar had provided the necessary statement and the process had been completed in the normal course.,
He added that ANEX continued to operate across all its markets without interruption, in a transparent manner and in full compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
ANEX targets 300,000 visitors in Spain
While Türkiye remains ANEX’s most important destination by a considerable margin, the group is expanding its presence in Spain, Greece and Egypt through its different brands.
Karaçor expects ANEX to serve approximately 100,000 visitors in Spain in 2026. Over the longer term, the company believes it could increase this figure to 300,000.
In Greece, ANEX currently serves approximately 70,000 visitors, with numbers continuing to grow. In Egypt, the group has increased its winter-season capacity by around 50% and now serves close to 100,000 visitors. Karaçor said a medium-term target of between 300,000 and 400,000 visitors in Egypt was realistic.
The expansion of these destinations is gradually reducing Türkiye’s share of ANEX’s overall business. Türkiye accounted for approximately 75% of the group’s total business volume in 2025, a proportion expected to approach 70% in 2026.
Karaçor stressed, however, that Türkiye remained the company’s core market and the destination it knew best.
ANEX says its financial position remains stable
Karaçor described ANEX as financially sound and said the company was not experiencing financial difficulties.
Like major tour operators in Germany, ANEX works with the German Travel Security Fund (DRSF). The fund reviews the company’s financial data and conducts its own risk assessments. Karaçor said the results of these assessments had continued to improve, reflecting the company’s financial strength and stability.
He also pointed to changes in the timing of travel agency commission payments as another indication of the company’s financial position.
From 1 November, travel agencies will receive commissions for bookings made from that date at the end of the month following the booking. This will bring payments forward considerably compared with the previous arrangement.
Türkiye commission rates adjusted as payments accelerate
The faster commission payment schedule comes alongside a reduction of one percentage point in commission rates across all turnover brackets for Türkiye bookings.
Karaçor described travel agencies as among the company’s most valuable business partners. He said the adjustment to Türkiye commissions was intended to support ANEX’s growth ambitions in destinations including Spain, Greece and Egypt, while enabling agencies to offer customers a broader range of products.
The company is accelerating commission payments to support agencies’ cash flow, allowing partners to access their earnings earlier and gain a financial advantage from the revised schedule.
Karaçor said ANEX’s broader objective remained to increase the value it delivers to travel agencies through higher overall sales volumes.
Türkiye’s price competitiveness a priority for 2027
Looking ahead to the 2027 season, Karaçor identified inflation and rising labour costs affecting hotels in Türkiye as major challenges.
The company is closely monitoring the difficulties faced by its hotel partners and has already begun discussions to help maintain Türkiye’s competitiveness in the Mediterranean market.
Karaçor said preserving a strong balance between price and performance was critical for all stakeholders in the tourism industry. ANEX aims to work with its hotel partners to develop joint strategies that will help maintain Türkiye’s price competitiveness during the 2027 season.
