Antalya’s museums, ancient sites generate 15 mln revenue

ANTALYA

Antalya, which hosts millions of tourists every year, has generated a revenue of 15 million Turkish Liras in the first 10 months of the year from its 24 stunning museums and archaeological sites under the Culture and Tourism Provincial Directorate, with 1.3 million people visiting these historic sites.

Standing out with its sea, sand and sun as well as its magnificent historic buildings and museums, Antalya also hosted some 16 million foreign tourists last year, breaking its all-time records.

The initiation of international air traffic in the “new normal” phase in June has also increased the number of tourists coming to the city from abroad. The museum and archaeological sites, which were closed until the beginning of June, have opened their doors again. The works that shed light on its history, which attracted both foreigners and local tourists, have also contributed to the country’s economic growth.

According to the information compiled by the state-run Anadolu Agency from the Culture and Tourism Provincial Directorate, 1.3 million people visited the museums and archaeological sites in the city center and its districts between January and October, generating nearly 15 million liras of income.

Antalya’s ancient city of Patara was the center of attraction this year, drawing the attention of 248,745 visitors. It was followed by Phaselis with 196,386 visitors, Olympos with 145,845 visitors, St. Nicholas Museum with 102,400 people and Myra with 85,466 visitors.

Among the museums, the Mevlevihane Museum welcomed 21,729 visitors, while the Ethnography Museum welcomed 18,70 visitors this year. The number of visitors in the Andriake Museum stood at 13,423, the Alanya Museum at 10,931, the Elmalı Museum at 4,372 and the Alanya Atatürk House at 2,682.

The announcement by the presidency where they declared the year 2020 as the “Year of Patara” increased the interest of the tourists considerably towards the ancient city. Patara contributed some 5 million liras alone to the overall revenue generated.

The head of Patara excavations, Professor Havva İşkan Işık, expressed her joy saying that she was proud that 2020 was declared the year of Patara with the suggestion of the Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy and the approval of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Emphasizing that the interest in Patara has been intense this year, Işık said: “I am very happy that Patara has achieved such a record throughout Antalya. It is an indication of how appropriate the decision was. These numbers were reached despite the pandemic.”