The beautiful Turkish city of Antalya is aiming to surpass last year’s tourism numbers and post a new record of 17 million tourists by the time 2024 has finished. Known as the Jewel of the Turkish Riviera, Antalya is one of the most popular tourism destinations in the world, hosting visitors from more than 180 countries worldwide.
According to data recently released by Euromonitor, in 2023, Antalya ranked as the fourth most visited city in Europe, welcoming an impressive 16.5 million tourist arrivals in total and behind only London, Paris, and Istanbul, which was in first place on the list.
In the first eight months of 2024, the city has welcomed 11.7 million tourists, an overall rise of 8% when compared to the same time period in 2023. Antalya is firmly on course for 17 million tourists by the time the year ends with visitors arriving from countries including Russia, Germany, Great Britain, Poland, the Netherlands, Romania, and Ukraine.
Hakan Saatcioglu, head of the Professional Hotel Managers Association in Turkey (POYD) noted that reservations are already coming for the rest of the year, saying: “This month is going well, and we have been receiving a high number of reservations for the next two months.”
Saatcioglu noted that the domestic tourism market in Turkey has been booming with locals able to take advantage of early booking opportunities and discounts of up to 40% for holidays that are booked in advance. Saatcioglu noted the popularity of 5-star all-inclusive resorts in Antalya where meals and drinks are included for visitors.
German tour company TUI Group cited Antalya as its most popular destination, especially for those travelling abroad with families. Up to seven million German tourists are expected to visit Turkey this year, with most of them choosing Antalya as their preferred destination, making Germans and Russians the top nationals visiting the city.