European tourists pack Antalya in long-sought market diversification.
Rebound in foreign arrivals this year injected a much-needed boost for the tourism sector that is leaving the 2020-21 coronavirus slump behind despite fallout from the war in Ukraine.
Adding to the influx from European nations, Antalya’s streets and beaches are swarming with locals this week after Türkiye extended the Qurban Bayram holiday, also known as Eid al-Adha.
The religious holiday proved to be such a factor that air traffic in the southern province broke a record, with 121 domestic and 913 international flights.
Arrivals from Europe, particularly Germany and Britain, two of the markets the Turkish tourism sector missed during the pandemic, have encouraged an industry worried about the potential impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Antalya has welcomed around 5 million foreigners in the first half of the year, with German tourists unseating Russians, long the top tourist source for the province.
