ANNOUNCEMENT ON COLLECTING DEMAND FOR TOURIST EAST EXPRESS FOR TRAVEL AGENCIES IN 2024-2025 SEASON

Dear Members,

According to the announcement made by the General Directorate of TCDD Transportation;

Touristic Orient Express will start its services from Ankara on Monday, Wednesday, Friday between 23.12.2024 (inclusive) - 28.02.2025 (inclusive) and from Kars on Wednesday, Friday, Sunday between 25.12.2024 (inclusive) - 02.03.2025 (inclusive). 
In the 2024-2025 season, a total of 60 departures, 30 in the Ankara-Kars direction and 30 in the Kars-Ankara direction, will be realized with the Touristic Orient Express train.

It will make stops for sightseeing purposes at Erzincan and Erzurum stations in Ankara-Kars direction and at İliç, Divriği and Sivas stations in Kars-Ankara direction.

Touristic Orient Express trains consist of 8 sleeping cars and 1 dining car. Each sleeping car consists of 10 compartments and each compartment has 2 beds and the capacity of the train is 160 persons.

The one-way fare per wagon of the trains is as follows including VAT according to the periods. There are 10 compartments in the wagons with a capacity of 20 people.          

23.12.2024-19.01.2025 (inclusive) Period; Ankara-Kars direction is 120.000-TL and Kars-Ankara direction is 105.000-TL. 
20.01.2025 (included)-02.03.2025 Period; Ankara-Kars direction is 145.000-TL, Kars-Ankara direction is 130.000-TL.

In this season, 6 of the 8 wagons will be allocated to travel agencies accepted by our Association and at least 2 of them will be opened for individual sale.

For travel agencies, at least 1 wagon per agency will be allocated for each trip and allocation can be made on more than one train trip according to the number of requests.

Allocation conditions and travel agency evaluation process will be made according to the evaluation results of the travel agencies in the passenger satisfaction surveys in the previous periods and the reports of the audits conducted by TCDD Tasimacilik A.S.

In case there is a demand above the capacity in the same period, it will be determined by lot among travel agencies. 
 
                                        Allocation Calendar:

Demand collection                                      : July 12 -26, 2024
Demand assessment and draw of lots       : July 26-30, 2024
Allocation results                                        : July 31, 2024
Prepayment dates                                      : August 01-15, 2024
Withdrawal period (at the latest)                 : September 10, 2024
  
The application conditions are included in the specifications and the travel agencies that will make a request should send the date and direction, how many wagons they request and the specifications (signed and stamped) to turistik@tcddtasimacilik.gov.tr.

Click here for the announcement.
https://www.tcddtasimacilik.gov.tr/tr/duyuru/detay/342

Sincerely for your information.

Association of Turkish Travel Agencies
TÜRSAB

Annex - 1: Specification