Turkey’s travertine paradise Pamukkale has left behind its most quiet season of the last 21 years as the coronavirus pandemic disrupted travel, hindering arrivals to the historic site in southwestern Turkey.
The number of visitors to Pamukkale in 2020 plunged to around 625,120, according to data compiled by Anadolu Agency (AA). The drop followed its busiest year on record in 2019, as the site welcomed 2.58 million local and foreign tourists.
Sector representatives are hopeful vaccination developments will enable the region to regain its pre-pandemic vitality.
Located in the central Aegean province of Denizli, Pamukkale is famed globally for its unique travertine terraces and mineral-rich thermal waters, as well as its ruins, that offer tourists the chance to have a glimpse of the traces of a civilization that dates back around 2,000 years.
A UNESCO World Heritage site, it also hosts a number of items of significant historical and cultural value, including the Cleopatra Pool, an ancient theater, the Gate of Hell and the tomb of the apostle St. Philip, among others.
