Antalya hosts record 5 million tourists

ANTALYA

Turkey’s popular holiday destination Antalya has hosted more than 5 million foreign visitors in the first six months of the year 2019.

According to data from the Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, for the first time Antalya saw a record number of 5 million visiting the city in January-June.

The number of tourists visiting the city during the said period increased by 15 percent from a year ago. By the end of June, the foreign tourist arrivals are expected to reach 5.5 million.

Between Jan. 1 and June 23, the city’s main airport Antalya Airport welcomed a total of 4.93 million foreign tourists while 101,000 visitors landed at the Gazipaşa Airport.

In June, 75,000 foreign holidaymakers arrived in the city on average per day.

The latest available official statistics showed that a total of 8.74 million foreign tourists visited Turkey in the first four months of 2019, a strong 12.2 percent increase from the same period of last year.

In April alone, foreign tourist arrivals soared 24 percent on an annual basis to 3.29 million.

The government expects $34 billion revenues from tourism activities this year while its tourism revenue forecasts for next year and 2021 are $38 billion and $42 billion, respectively.