The most popular seaside resort of Antalya, Turkey, is aiming to surpass last year’s numbers in terms of guest numbers, with more than 17 million visitors expected in 2024, with strong demand promising that arrivals will continue over the next two months and the tourist season ending at the end of November.
Tourist visits increased by 8% in the eight months, compared to the first eight months of 2023, as the region has hosted 11.7 million tourists so far.
Hakan Saatçioğlu, head of the Professional Hotel Managers’ Association (POYD), recently told Anadolu Agency (AA) that Antalya is attracting tourists from all over the world and is set to set a new record, surpassing 17 million tourists by the end of the year.
“This month is going well and we have received a large number of bookings for the next two months,” he said.
In the domestic market, the number of bookings is already higher than last year, Saatçıoğlu noted, as local holidaymakers seek to take advantage of early booking opportunities than international travelers.
“In the domestic market 15%-20% of bookings are early bookings, but this percentage has jumped to 80%-90% this year, with around 40% of July and August visitors visiting Antalya at discounted rates,” he added.
High demand in the autumn
However, strong interest from foreign travellers has remained and German tourism giant TUI Group recently reported that Antalya is its most popular destination, especially for families.
Earlier, industry representatives conveyed expectations that around 7 million German tourists could visit the popular destination this year, making it one of the top countries with the most visitors to Antalya, along with Russia.
Huseyin Kara, deputy chairman of the board of directors of a hotel in Alanya, a coastal area of Antalya, similarly highlighted in his interview with AA the potential of the region and the strong arrivals, particularly from Germany and the UK.
He noted that since the beginning of the season, occupancy rates have been stable at at least 95%.
To accommodate ongoing bookings, he said, the season’s close has been extended by one month, from October 30 to November 30.
