Antalya, a popular tourist destination in Turkey, has witnessed a significant increase in foreign tourists arriving by air.
According to Kaan Kavaloğlu, the President of the Mediterranean Association of Tourist Hotels and Operators, the number of foreign tourists arriving in Antalya by air between January and August has surpassed 11 million, marking a 20% increase compared to the same period last year.
Kavaloğlu highlighted the ongoing momentum in the city’s tourism sector. He pointed out that the primary market, Russia, saw a 32.5% rise in the number of visitors compared to last year, making Antalya the top holiday destination for Russians. Another significant source of tourists is Germany, with over 2 million German tourists visiting the city, reflecting a growth of 17.3%. Kavaloğlu expressed high expectations from the German market, especially in terms of expenditure, and anticipates even higher demand during the winter season.
The UK market, ranking third in sending the most tourists to the city, nearly reached 1 million visitors, breaking all-time records. This represents a 15% growth from the previous year. Following closely is Poland, which Kavaloğlu described as a market with vast potential, noting a 40% increase in tourists from the previous year.
However, the Ukrainian market experienced significant losses due to the ongoing conflict in the region. Despite the challenges, a recent growth trend has been observed. With a demand surge of over 100%, Ukraine currently ranks tenth in sending tourists to Antalya. Kavaloğlu remains optimistic about the continuous growth from the Ukrainian market in the upcoming winter season.
Start of Early Reservations
Kavaloğlu, drawing attention to the start of early reservations, noted the following:
“We have started receiving the first reservations for the year 2024. This will be an advantage for us. The British are the fastest movers in the world. Citizens of the United Kingdom have the profile of tourists who make reservations the earliest. Currently, we are receiving a significant number of bookings from the UK for 2024. Over 10% of reservations have been made. There are designated early booking periods for them. At least 10% of the British make their reservations by the end of September. However, this rate reaches almost 40% by the end of October. Therefore, even before the year arrives, we complete 50% of our sales from the British market.”
Emphasizing the interest in a healthy and safe tourism service, Kavaloğlu stressed that they do not expect the number of British tourists coming to Antalya to fall below 1.5 million anymore.
(AA)
