Türkiye’s tourism hotspots buzz with New Year’s festivities

ANTALYA

With the countdown beginning and people preparing to ring in the New Year, tourism hotspots across Türkiye are quickly filling up as travelers seek unique and memorable ways to celebrate the occasion with special festivities.

In the Mediterranean province of Antalya, one of the country’s major tourism hubs, demand from both local and international tourists for year-end celebrations has been exceptionally strong.

Hosting a record-high 16.6 million visitors over the first 11 months of the year, preparations at hotels across the touristic province continue in full swing to ensure an idyllic close to the year.

Amid challenging winter conditions, anticipation for Christmas and New Year's Eve provides a significant financial boost to the travel industry, according to Kaan Kaşif Kavaloğlu, president of the Mediterranean Touristic Hoteliers’ and Investors’ Association (AKTOB).

“Holiday reservations for Christmas on Dec. 20, New Year’s Eve on Dec. 31, and Orthodox Christmas on Jan. 6 are pouring in from Europe, Russia and the domestic market. As a result, we expect a hectic schedule from Dec. 20 to Jan. 10,” he explained.

Kavaloğlu highlighted that a variety of activities have been planned to cater to both local and international travelers during this festive period.

In stark contrast to the mild climate of the southern province of Antalya, Erciyes in the Central Anatolian province of Kayseri, one of Türkiye’s most popular ski destinations, is also experiencing high demand for year-end celebrations.

With the skii season starting 20 days earlier than anticipated, hotel and facility occupancy rates at the ski resort have reached 80 percent for New Year’s Eve.

“Fortunately, this year's snowfall arrived early. Erciyes is all packed as a result of this early opening of the season,” remarked Hamdi Elcuman, chairman of the Board of Directors at Erciyes Inc.

Elcuman stressed that they expect to host a large number of foreign visitors in addition to domestic travelers, similar to the situation in Antalya.

He further expressed optimism for a surge in visitors during this period, stating, “We received 2.5 million visitors last season, but I think we'll surpass that figure this year.”