Antalya on track to meet 18 million tourist target

ANTALYA

Türkiye’s Mediterranean tourism hub Antalya is on course to reach its 18 million visitor target by the end of 2025, as strong foreign arrivals and robust domestic demand continue to drive momentum.

According to data from the Culture and Tourism Ministry, 13.85 million foreign tourists visited Antalya between Jan. 1 and Sept. 22.

Russia, Germany and the United Kingdom were the top source markets, followed by Poland, Romania, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, the Netherlands, Czechia and Slovakia.

Ercan Çek, vice president of the Professional Hotel Managers Association (POYD), said the season started slowly but picked up significantly after July.

“Despite economic challenges, the Russia-Ukraine war, tensions in Israel and Iran and instability in the Middle East, we have managed to match last year’s figures. From this perspective, it has been a very successful season. Tourism remains a sector where investment must continue without hesitation,” he noted.

Çek highlighted that Russia and Germany remain Antalya’s two most important markets, both showing growth compared to last year, while the domestic market also exceeded expectations.

He added that hotel bookings for November were encouraging and that changing guest habits were helping extend the season.

“Tourism concepts have diversified — golf, conferences, sports, football, swimming — and this helps us stretch the season. We must work harder to spread tourism across 12 months and provide at least 10 months of job security for employees. The extension of the season makes hoteliers very happy,” Çek said.