The Turkish province of Antalya, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and famous for its golden sands and picturesque nature, is preparing to set a new record in the number of foreign tourists, with expectations of exceeding the threshold of 17 million tourists this year.
This comes in light of the large reservations in the tourism sector in the province during October and November of this year.
Antalya hosted 16.5 million tourists last year, and the number of foreign tourists visiting it is expected to exceed the target number for this year, which is set at 17 million tourists.
During the current year, Antalya received tourists from more than 180 countries, most notably Russia, Germany, the United Kingdom, Poland, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Romania and Ukraine.
During the first eight months of this year, the number of tourists in the province increased by 8 percent compared to the same period last year.
While Antalya received 10 million and 646 thousand tourists in the same period in 2023, the number this year reached 11 million and 732 thousand tourists.
Tourism experts expect this number to exceed the threshold of 17 million tourists by the end of this year.
Antalya is one of the most attractive cities for tourists in the world due to the beauty of its beaches, green forests and historical heritage. It also attracts tourists with its small isolated bays, most of which cannot be reached by land.
The head of the Association of Hotel Managers and Operators in Turkey, Hakan Saatcıoğlu, said that Antalya has raised its position on the world tourism map as the city is preparing to break a new record by the end of 2024.
Saatcıoğlu added: “Last year, we received 16.5 million tourists and it seems that this year we will exceed the set target of 17 million tourists.”
He explained that the tourism situation during September is going well, in addition to excellent reservations in October and November, especially from European countries, “which means that this year will be crowned with great success.”
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Saatcıoğlu explained that the local market also recorded higher numbers this year compared to last year, and that “local tourists benefited well from the special offers for early bookings.”
He said: “In previous years, early bookings represented about 15 to 20 percent of the total bookings, while the percentage rose during the current year to 80 and 90 percent, in addition to the fact that about 40 percent of the state’s visitors during July and August benefited from the reduced prices.”
Saatcıoğlu also pointed out that “Greece is not considered a competitor to Antalya, especially since hotels in Greece do not provide the same level of services as hotels in Antalya.”
He explained that most tourists in Greece are forced to buy breakfast meals in Greek hotels in addition to accommodation services, “that is, hotels there do not provide breakfast with reservations.”
He continued: “As for Antalya hotels, they offer their guests breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks throughout the day during reservations. We are the best in providing an all-inclusive system worldwide and the numbers prove that.”
In turn, the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of one of the hotels in Alanya (east of Antalya) Hussein Kara said that Alanya is one of the most prominent places with great tourism potential in Antalya.
He added: “We achieved good results at the beginning of the current season and received a greater than expected number of guests from Germany and the United Kingdom, as the hotel occupancy rate did not drop below 95 percent throughout the current season.”
Kara explained that the hotel was scheduled to close to tourists on October 30, but as a result of the increasing reservations, the activities of the current tourist season were extended until November 30.
He continued: “I believe that we will exceed the target numbers for this year, as the tourism movement is still ongoing.” Kara also noted that visitors leave the city “very satisfied with the services,” and stressed that 2024 was better than last year and that expectations for 2025 are higher.
