Antalya tourism arrivals decline by nearly 6 percent

Antalya has seen a decline in foreign tourist arrivals during the first eight months of the year, recording approximately 10.76 million visitors. This represents a 5.8 percent decrease compared to the same period last year, a loss of roughly 664,530 tourists.

Russian tourists remain the largest visitor group, with 2.67 million arrivals, accounting for about 26 percent of the total. Germany follows as the second largest market with 2.08 million visitors, though this marks a 5.5 percent decline. Together, Russian and German tourists constitute nearly 46 percent of the region's foreign guests. Other notable markets include the United Kingdom and Poland.

Several factors are contributing to the downturn, including rising costs, exchange rate fluctuations, and a growing perception in Europe that Turkey has become an expensive destination. Regional geopolitical tensions, specifically the Russia-Ukraine war and conflicts involving Iran and the US/Israel, have also impacted visitor traffic. While some markets like Iran saw significant drops, arrivals from Ukraine and Israel showed increases during this period.