15,000 Russians arrive every day in Antalya

Due to Moscow lifting the Turkish flight ban, Russian tourists have been arriving in droves in Turkey, particularly in the resort city of Antalya.

Air Traffic and Arrivals

The General Manager of Fraport TAV Antalya Airport, Deniz Varol said that air traffic has surged with flights from Russia. Planes have been arriving in Antalya after a two-month suspension in flights. More than 110,000 Russians have arrived in Turkey in the past week alone.

There have been 1,707 planes that have arrived from abroad between June 22 and June 29, carrying almost 327,000 passengers. Air traffic intensified when the Russian flights recommended. Varol said that in just over a week, 389 plans from various destinations in Russia have arrived, which amounts to approximately 15,000 Russian tourists landing every day.

The importance of the Russian market

The arrival numbers show how important the Russian market is for Turkey, and also the love for Antalya being their favourite holiday destination. The Culture and Tourism Ministry data confirmed that over 570,000 Russian tourists arrived in Turkey in the first five months, January to May, which made up 15.5% of all arrivals. Last year a colossal 2.13 million Russians visited Turkey, which although is the highest visitor numbers from any country, this was a significant drop from the 7 million visitors in 2019 due to Covid-19.

Safe Tourism in Turkey

The safe tourism certification program that has been put in place in airports and accommodation has been deeply appreciated by both foreign and domestic guests. Turkey’s tourism community has done a huge amount of work throughout the pandemic, stating the sector is putting all measures in place to offer a safe, healthy, and enjoyable holiday that gives guests confidence.

Tourism capitals top competition

Varol confirmed that during the pandemic, Turkey was still the number one choice for travellers from Russia and Germany. He stated that, “We receive information from our colleagues in Germany that the highest number of searches on the internet is about holiday destinations in Turkey.” Varol said that they are expecting a good season particularly as talks about starting travel again are going so well.

Varol concluded that: “The continuation of the decrease in the number of cases, the speedy vaccination, the opening of flights abroad are very important from the travel industry and this year, it is possible to reach figures very close to 2019.”