One of Türkiye’s favored destinations, Antalya, marked its best year in tourism ever as it welcomed nearly 15.7 million foreigners in 2023, according to official data Tuesday.
The provincial culture and tourism directorate said the Mediterranean gem welcomed about 15.69 million tourists from January through December, surpassing its earlier peak set in 2019 at 15.28 million.
The record came despite the devastating earthquakes that struck Türkiye’s southeastern region in early February and the stagnating bookings at the beginning of the year.
Emphasizing the immediate impact of any adverse event, Professional Hotel Managers Association (POYD) head Hakan Saatçioğlu noted that worldwide economic crises, wars and other kinds of tensions are keenly felt by those in the tourism industry.
Despite the challenges, Saatçioğlu said they witnessed robust bookings, especially after July 15.
“Our goal was to surpass 2019; we achieved the goal this year,” he…
