Antalya tourism sector concerned over foreign property use

Salim Uzun - ANTALYA

Representatives from the tourism sector in Antalya have raised concerns about houses sold to foreigners in the region being used for purposes other than intended, causing significant damage to hotel operations.

Kaan Kavaloğlu, a board member of the Turkish Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), highlighted that the recent surge in real estate property sales, particularly in the Alanya and Konyaaltı districts, has seen a total of 108,000 properties sold.

"It is, of course, a good thing for foreigners to come to Antalya and buy a house. This is a form of tourism that has examples in the world. But the 108,000 apartments sold were not sold to 108,000 different people. This is where the problem starts," he pointed out.

Kavaloğlu further argued that among those purchases, some individuals bought as many as 80 houses and subsequently rented them out to their own compatriots.

As the head of the Mediterranean Touristic Hoteliers and Operators Association (AKTOB), Kavaloğlu emphasized that they have submitted a special report addressing this issue to the Culture and Tourism Ministry.

The primary buyers of houses in Antalya are Russians, Germans and Ukrainians, who have established a rental system among themselves, he said. However, this system currently lacks any form of oversight or control, leading to informal practices.

Kavaloğlu expressed optimism about addressing the problem through legislative measures, stating, "A suitable law text will be prepared together with stakeholder ministries until October."

Similar issues have affected hoteliers in the United States and Spain, resulting in restrictions on real estate sales in certain regions, he added, sharing his view that such measures are also necessary for Antalya to safeguard the interests of the local tourism industry.

Meanwhile, Kavaloğlu highlighted that Antalya has experienced a significant influx of tourists, with over 11 million visitors arriving in the region. He expressed confidence in surpassing Türkiye's annual tourism target of $56 billion in revenue and 60 million tourists, stating, "In order to reach these figures, Antalya should not stay below 15 million tourists. According to the latest data, we can achieve this."