Sunday, September 8, 2024 Antalya tourism sector has faced a challenging year, but despite the obstacles, the Mediterranean region is poised for a strong finish in 2024 . Kaan Kavaloğlu, president of the Mediterranean Touristic Hoteliers’ and Investors’ Association (AKTOB), outlined the difficulties encountered this season, including the bankruptcy of FTI, Europe’s third-largest tour operator with a focus on Türkiye, and major events like Euro 2024 and the Paris Olympics drawing attention away from traditional summer vacations. Although these disruptions made the season difficult for Antalya’s hoteliers, the city still recorded an 8% increase in tourist arrivals from January to July 2024.
Kavaloğlu highlighted that the average length of stay decreased by one day, impacting hotel occupancy, but the region remained resilient. As of the first week of September, 12 million foreign tourists had visited Antalya, a strong indicator of the city’s ongoing popularity despite the setbacks. Looking ahead, Kavaloğlu is optimistic about a strong performance in October, traditionally a good month for European travel.
“We expect October to be one of the best in recent years, even surpassing 2019 when Antalya saw record foreign visitor numbers,” he stated. He anticipates that around 76,000 foreign tourists will visit Antalya during the month, with major markets like Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands contributing to the influx as their holiday periods align with this .