Antalya is recovering quickly! Alanya will feel the impact too

While Antalya’s tourism sector is preparing fully to reach its target of 18 million visitors this year, reservations are progressing in line with expectations. Antalya is getting ready to close the year with record numbers in tourism. Kaan Kaşif Kavaloğlu, President of the Mediterranean Touristic Hoteliers and Operators Association (AKTOB), announced that the number of tourists arriving in the city exceeded 3 million as of May. Kavaloğlu stated that Antalya aims to welcome a total of 18 million tourists this year and believes this target will be achieved.

A TOUGH WINTER PASSED

The tourism sector experienced a difficult winter with a 20% decrease in tourists in the first three months of the year. However, Kavaloğlu said that the decline was reversed thanks to strong demand in April. “Currently, the number of visitors arriving in Antalya in May has passed 3 million. We are almost at the same level as last year,” he said. Kavaloğlu forecasts that by the end of June, last year’s numbers will be matched and a 5% increase will be seen. This increase is partly due to the expectation that tourist profiles who could not come last year because of the European Football Championship will visit this year.

OF GREAT IMPORTANCE

Kavaloğlu emphasized the great importance of a potential end to the Russia-Ukraine war for the tourism sector. He pointed out Turkey’s geopolitical position, the peace talks in Istanbul, and the NATO Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Antalya as very valuable for tourism.

Kavaloğlu noted that the number of tourists from Ukraine dropped from 1.5 million to 300-400 thousand due to the war, and there was a loss of about 500 thousand from Israel. He expressed hope that the numbers will return to previous levels if the war ends.

AN ADVANTAGE FOR TURKEY

Kavaloğlu stressed that holding international meetings and peace talks in Turkey is a significant advantage for tourism. He also said that the newly elected Pope Leo XIV’s possible visit to Turkey on the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea would be a very valuable development for the tourism sector.

Kavaloğlu added that the tourism sector is mobilizing all its dynamics to reach Antalya’s 18 million tourist goal, and that happy tourists returning to their countries is an important reference point for them.