Antalya on Track to Welcome 17 Million Tourists in 2024

Antalya, a popular holiday destination in Türkiye's Mediterranean region, aims to welcome 17 million tourists by the end of 2024. Last year, the city attracted 16.5 million visitors, making it the 4th most visited city in the world.

Known for its natural and modern areas, rich history, and warm hospitality, Antalya’s appeal seems to continue to draw travelers from all over the world, which makes this target of breaking its old record both realistic and achievable.

Tourist Numbers: Comparing 2024 to 2023

In the first eight months of 2024 alone, the region saw an 8% increase in tourist visits compared to the same period in 2023, hosting 11.7 million tourists. A report published by Euromonitor International on December 13, 2023, revealed that last year, Antalya secured the fourth spot globally in terms of international tourist arrivals, hosting 16.5 million visitors. This achievement placed it right behind Dubai and ahead of Paris, while another Turkish city, Istanbul, led the list as the top destination for international tourists.

Antalya’s Global Appeal and Record-Breaking Expectations

Hakan Saatçioğlu, the leader of the Professional Hotel Managers Association (POYD) in Türkiye, shared with Anadolu Agency that Antalya is drawing in visitors globally and is on track to set a new record by surpassing 17 million tourists by year's end. "This month is going well and we have been receiving a high number of reservations for the next two months," he said.

Saatçioğlu also highlighted that in the domestic sector, bookings have already overtaken last year's numbers. He explained that this increase in numbers is due to local tourists being better at taking advantage of early booking deals than tourists from abroad.

"We got 15-20% early reservations in the domestic market, but this year, that percentage increased to 80-90%, with roughly 40% of our guests in July and August securing their stays at discounted rates," he further explained.

Extended Tourism Season

The ongoing strong interest in Antalya has extended the tourism season by a month, now ending on November 30 instead of October 30, to keep up with the consistently increasing stream of bookings. This move was made because hotels have been nearly full, with occupancy rates consistently at 95% or higher since the beginning of the season.

Looking ahead, Türkiye's tourism goals are clear and bold: to welcome 60 million guests and to collect $60 billion in tourism earnings. Antalya stands at the forefront of this vision, ready to exceed its past successes by greeting over 17 million visitors, thereby playing a crucial role in the country's journey towards its impressive tourism goals.