Antalya, Turkey.. a paradise for tourism and hospitalization

The Turkish state of Antalya, overlooking the Mediterranean, receives its guests in all seasons of the year thanks to its beaches, waterfalls, ancient cities, historical caves and archaeological museums. It offers its visitors sports and health tourism opportunities, in addition to hosting major conferences and weddings.

Antalya is considered the capital of Turkish tourism and hosted more than 9 million tourists in the first eight months of this year 2022.

Tourists from around the world can enjoy swimming in the state’s famous beaches, sunbathe, and visit more than 50 ancient cities that were home to important civilizations.

The state offers its visitors a journey in history through archaeological structures dating back to several historical periods, from the Karen Cave to the ruins of the Proto-Rican era in the Lycia mountains, and from the ruins of the Hellenistic eras to the monuments of the Roman, Seljuk and Ottoman periods.

They can also visit the ancient cities: Patara in the district of Gash, Aspendos in the city of Serik, and Berg in the district of Aksu, in addition to enjoying the natural beauties such as the waterfalls of Duden, Kursunlu, Manavgat and Ogarsu.

The state is also a destination for football teams in the winter to set up their training camps and is also famous for diving, climbing, hiking and golf courses, where there are 16 courses.

The huge hotels in Antalya attract the attention of tourists, as they host Indian weddings, which last for 3 days and nights, in which thousands of invitees participate.

Antalya offers a unique beauty to its guests through its charming nature and its luxurious facilities, which include 2,575 facilities, 920 of which are approved by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and the number of beds in the state’s hotels reaches 635,000.

Antalya is characterized by its cultural, health and sports capabilities, organizing conferences, camping and tourism convoys, as well as marine tourism, and it attracts tourists all year round thanks to its distinctive features.

It contains the largest number of “blue flag” environmental award beaches in the world, as it has 229 out of 531 “blue flag” beaches in Turkey.

The Spanish city of Valencia is ranked second in terms of the number of beaches that received the “Blue Flag” award, with 139 beaches.

The “blue flag” is a quality certificate awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) which means that a beach meets certain environmental and safety standards.

And between the beginning of January and August 31 of this year 2022, the number of foreign tourists arriving in Antalya by air reached 9 million, 69,164, according to official figures.

Germany ranked first among the countries that sent the largest number of tourists to Antalya during the first eight months, with one million and 797 thousand and 56 tourists.

Russia came in second place with 1,795,333 tourists, followed by Britain with 805,162 tourists.

In 2019, the state set a record in the number of foreign tourists coming to it, reaching 15 million and 645 thousand foreign tourists.

Antalya, which is a distinct brand in the field of tourism, has also begun to draw attention in the field of health through investments made in this field. It has two universities, 18 public hospitals, 28 private hospitals and many clinics where foreign patients receive treatment.

In these facilities, all kinds of health services are provided, from cosmetic to organ and stem cell transplantation, cancer treatments, eye diseases and teeth.

The governor of Antalya (state center) Arsin Yazici said, “Antalya is the first tourist destination in the Mediterranean, due to its components, services, facilities and luxury hotels.”

He explained that “the state has again started recording records in the number of tourists after the outbreak of the Corona epidemic.”

Yazigi continued, “At the end of the summer tourism season, we revitalize our city by receiving arrivals in order to benefit from our health capabilities. There are sports delegations that come to set up their winter camps for us, and we also attract tourists by organizing conferences.”

Meanwhile, President of the International Health Tourism and Education Association in Antalya, Mehmet Canpolat, said, “There is a very large increase in medical tourism in the state, and the rate of foreign patients coming to the city has increased by 30%.”