Tourists fed up with traffic in Antalya

ANTALYA

Long waiting time in traffic has been one of the most common complaints of visitors coming to the tourism hotspot of Antalya, which hosts millions of domestic and foreign holidaymakers annually, this tourism season.

Sixteen million tourists are expected to visit Antalya this year, breaking the all-time tourism record of 2019.

Holidaymakers from Russia, Ukraine, Germany, England and Poland are in the majority this season, which started late due to the earthquakes in early February and is expected to be extended due to the weather temperatures being above seasonal norms.

After landing at Antalya Airport, tourists are taken to their hotels via transfer vehicles of hotels or tour companies.

Those who want to go to facilities in Kemer, Demre, Finike, Kumluca and Kaş from Antalya Airport move to the west using the main arteries in the city, or the ring road, while Antalya-Alanya D-400 highway is the main route taken to move toward the eastern side.

Due to the single-road option for the facilities in Manavgat, Side, Alanya and Gazipaşa, traffic often comes to a standstill. In addition to tourists, hotel employees or daily travelers living in the city and moving to the eastern districts also contribute to traffic congestion. Considering the city population in Antalya, where there is one vehicle for two people on average, the issue that tourists mostly complained about during the 2023 tourism season was the long waits in traffic.

Stating that not only holidaymakers but also tourism workers are suffering from the same situation, Recep Yavuz, the head of the Antalya City Council's Tourism Working Group, said that tourism workers who leave their homes early to avoid traffic and drivers who have to drive in traffic all day long also experience major difficulties. Yavuz added that in order to solve the traffic problem in the city, it should be supported by new roads as soon as possible and alternative routes should be created especially for vehicles going directly to the eastern districts.