Türkiye’s tourism industry draws institutional investors through new financing model

‘Buy-Lease-Resell’ model, inspired by international investment structures, seeks to create a more sustainable capital framework for tourism facilities and their operators

Türkiye's growing tourism industry is attracting increasing interest from institutional investors, with a new financing model aiming to channel fresh capital into hotel and tourism assets while providing operators with alternative funding sources. JRO Investment has introduced a "Buy-Lease-Resell" model, inspired by international investment structures, that seeks to create a more sustainable capital framework for tourism facilities and their operators. Under the model, the physical assets of a tourism property are acquired by domestic and international funds as well as institutional investors, while the facility continues to be operated under a long-term lease agreement. Investors are offered predefined exit options at the end of the investment period. Murat Goktug Aksu, chairman of JRO Investment, said Türkiye is becoming one of the world's most attractive markets not only for tourism demand but also for tourism-related investments. "Facilities with strong operational performance, stable rental income potential and high brand value are increasingly appearing on the radar of institutional investors," Aksu said. He noted that the model enables operators to access long-term, lower-cost funding while providing investors with predictable cash flows backed by tangible assets. "We believe the Turkish tourism sector could attract hundreds of millions of euros in new capital in the coming years through such structures," he said. The growing interest comes as Türkiye's tourism industry continues to expand, prompting investors to explore alternatives beyond traditional real estate appreciation. Goksel Akman, general manager of JRO Investment, said institutional investors are increasingly focusing on assets capable of generating regular income streams. "We are seeing investors look not only at the value appreciation of physical assets but also at assets that produce stable returns," Akman said. According to him, tourism facilities with high occupancy rates, strong brands and sustainable cash-generation capacity are emerging as an important investment category. "Given Türkiye's tourism potential, we expect next-generation investment models that offer both rental income and long-term value appreciation to gain prominence," he said. Industry experts say hotels are likely to become strategic investment instruments for capital markets and institutional investors in the years ahead, in addition to their role as operating businesses. Models that combine long-term tenancy by experienced operators with regular income streams and structured exit mechanisms for investors are expected to contribute to the sector's growth and diversify financing options for tourism assets. JRO Investment said it will continue efforts to connect tourism properties with institutional capital as Türkiye's tourism industry prepares for what it describes as a new era of financing.