Turkey plans to abolish the all-inclusive system in hotels

Photo: reports Sabah

Turkey is preparing to revise the traditional food system in hotels and restaurants. The idea is to replace buffets with à la carte ordering to reduce food waste. The country loses about 23 million tons of food annually, with around 12 million loaves of bread thrown away every day, writes Sabah. Tourism industry experts believe the reform could negatively affect the hospitality sector.

The Turkish authorities are drafting a bill aimed at cutting food waste. Hotels with all-inclusive systems and restaurants serving lavish breakfasts with dozens of dishes will be the first to face changes. Ramazan Bingöl, head of the Turkish Restaurateurs’ Association, stressed that reform has long been necessary, as about half of the food ends up discarded because guests physically cannot eat everything they take. He added that it is important to revise the approach to dining and abandon excesses that place a heavy burden on both the economy and the environment. Switching to à la carte will allow tourists to order individually and avoid piling up unnecessary portions from a buffet.

The work of cafes and restaurants will also change — they will no longer be allowed to impose extra dishes on customers. At present, many require guests to order breakfast strictly according to the number of people at the table, and reducing portions is impossible. This practice leads to inevitable overconsumption and waste. The reform proposes to abolish such rules and introduce a model of free choice, where customers order only what they actually plan to eat.



Experts warn that Turkey risks losing up to a third of its food resources unless decisive steps are taken. Authorities expect the reforms to reduce waste and ease inflationary pressure on the food market. As an additional measure, stricter control over food disposal is proposed. Today, some restaurants and hotels bring out leftovers supposedly to feed animals, but this causes unsanitary conditions and pollution. Instead, a system is suggested to redirect edible food to charities and shelters.

The reform is sparking debate in the hospitality industry. For many hotels, the buffet has become a key marketing tool, a symbol of abundance, and a competitive advantage. There are concerns that abolishing this familiar format could reduce the attractiveness of resorts in the eyes of international tourists accustomed to all-inclusive. Both Turkish and foreign representatives of the tourism industry say so.



Nadezhda Tarbaeva, head of promotion at the tour operator PANTEON and a member of the Russian Union of the Tourism Industry, emphasized that the all-inclusive concept remains fundamental for Russian tourists. This format ensures comfort, especially for families with children, and helps avoid additional expenses. The cancellation of the system could reduce the tourist flow, especially in four- and five-star hotels. At the same time, she admitted that if the transition to à la carte is organized properly, guests may accept it. If tourists can order meals of their choice without reducing variety or quality, hotels will remain attractive and avoid significant losses.

Leonid Gelibterman, head of the Committee on Gastronomic Tourism of the Russian Union of the Tourism Industry, is convinced that abandoning this format is risky for Turkey’s tourist image. However, he assumes that Turkey is unlikely to take radical measures and will instead choose a compromise solution. This could be a new hybrid model that maintains a wide variety of dishes while minimizing waste and costs. Such an approach would keep tourist interest while aligning with the government’s strategy of cutting losses and promoting sustainability.

The reform’s initiators are confident that, in the long term, à la carte will improve service quality, reduce costs, and align with global trends in sustainable tourism. RBC writes that Turkey’s possible transition to a new system will change not only tourist services but the entire hospitality economy.

In the current all-inclusive model, food procurement is based on redundancy: hotels purchase 1.5–2 times more than is actually needed to maintain the image of an abundant buffet. This creates a separate market for agriculture and wholesale suppliers, which could shrink sharply if the new format is adopted. As a result, part of the costs will shift toward investments in kitchens, accounting, and digital control systems, while food profitability will fall. To keep margins, hotels will need to redistribute income toward accommodation and additional services. Such a shift could change the competitive landscape of tourism: large chains capable of investing in modernization will benefit, while smaller family hotels will face significant pressure.