Pamukkale Becomes Turkey’s Second‑Most Visited Cultural Site During Eid Holiday

During the Kurban Bayramı (Eid al‑Adha) holiday, the Hierapolis‑Pamukkale archaeological area recorded 113,034 visitors, ranking it as the second‑most visited cultural destination in Turkey. Nationwide, 1.514 million people visited museums and heritage sites over the same period.

Tourism professional Recep Altuntaş said the surge highlights Denizli’s untapped potential and urged measures to extend visitors’ stay lengths and increase tourism revenue. He called for stronger promotion of alternative attractions such as Karahayıt, Laodikya, Tripolis, Kaklık Cave and Salda, and for expanded marketing in Europe, the Far East and Gulf countries, direct flight connections and a larger presence at international fairs. Altuntaş also emphasized the region’s thermal tourism strengths, noting that Pamukkale and Karahayıt are among the world’s notable thermal destinations and could help position Denizli as a four‑season tourism hub.