Türkiye's Mediterranean tourism hub Antalya has welcomed more than 6.5 million foreign visitors since the start of the year, as hotels approach full occupancy during the peak summer season.
The city, one of the world’s most visited holiday destinations, has attracted tourists from across the globe, with Russia, Germany and the United Kingdom remaining its largest source markets. The Ukrainian market has also shown growth compared with last year.
Hakan Saatçioğlu, head of the Professional Hotel Managers Association (POYD), said the sector had a slower-than-expected early booking period due to geopolitical tensions, including U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran, but activity increased significantly from July.
Saatçioğlu said Antalya hosted 6.27 million foreign tourists in the first six months of last year, compared with 5.7 million in the same period this year.
However, arrivals exceeded 6.5 million by July 20, he said, adding that the figure could approach 8 million by the end of the month.
