In Antalya, which hosted tourists from more than 150 countries this year, the biggest increase in 2024 was in the UK market with 20 percent. The number of British tourists coming to Antalya exceeded 1.5 million for the first time. Kaan Kavaloğlu, President of the Mediterranean Touristic Hoteliers and Operators Association (AKTOB), stated that Antalya is preparing for a new historical record with more than 17 million tourists in 2024, and announced that the highest increase rate this year was realized in the UK market. Pointing out that the UK came after Russia and Germany, the two main markets of Antalya with an increase of 8 percent and more than 16 million tourists as of the end of October, Kaan Kavaloğlu said, “The United Kingdom has exceeded 1.5 million, which corresponds to an increase of approximately 20 percent. Therefore, the UK is a very important market for us.” Explaining that the World Travel Market London (WTM London) Fair, which is the fair where the first data of world tourism is received, will be held on November 5-7 this year, Kaan Kavaloğlu said, “In this sense, we are going to the London Tourism Fair next week, where we will receive the first data for 2025. We will get the first data in London. In 2025 early bookings, the British come to the fore. As of the beginning of October, domestic market prices have also been published. One of the things that makes me the most happy is that our Turkish guests have also started to book early. For 2025, first the British and Germans, and as of the beginning of October, the Turks started to make early reservations. The UK is the fourth largest source market in the world. In other words, over 70 million tourists go on vacation. There are 70 million package sales. 55.5 million of these tourists leave their countries for tourism activities, for vacation, and travel. Therefore, the British make early reservations. As Turkey and Antalya, we are at the forefront in this early booking.” TURKEY STAND 808 METRECARE Kavaloğlu explained that Turkey will take place in a total area of 808 square meters within the Turkish Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA) affiliated to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism at the fair to be held in London, “After the pandemic, international tourism fairs are given very serious importance. The London Fair is the first important international fair of every year. The center of the world will be there. Immediately afterwards, the Netherlands, then EMITT Tourism Fair is in Istanbul. At the beginning of March, there is the ITB Berlin Tourism Fair. In other words, in the second week of March, we will have completely X-rayed the year 2025.” SUCCESS STORY OF 2024 ENGLISH MARKET Ali Kızıldağ, general manager of a 5-star hotel, said that especially the British market created a very serious success story in Antalya in 2024 and that they expect the rise in the British market to continue in 2025. Kızıldağ said, “The first market that acts first and acts early in early booking is the British market. It gave us the chance to follow a pleasing trend in this regard. Early bookings have started in the British market. There are requests from the British market for almost every month of next year, 2025. We estimate that this will increase even more. We assume this. This is a positive development for us.” Ali Kızıldağ stated that the fact that the British tourists make early reservations 1 year in advance is an important advantage for the tourism sector compared to other markets, and said: “This is an important indicator for us in terms of the mobility of the British market, seeing ahead of us and perceiving the signals of the next season correctly. As you know, it used to be known that British tourists generally go to the Aegean and the Western Mediterranean, namely Bodrum, Fethiye and Marmaris. There is still British demand for those regions, but the British habit, potential or tourist flow that started in the Antalya region, especially during the pandemic process and afterwards, continues to increase rapidly. As a result, there is an increase of more than 20 percent in the number of British tourists in 2024 compared to 2023. I guess they are in first place in terms of percentage of increase. I think this will continue.” THEY DISCOVERED ANTALYA Noting that the British discovered Antalya after the pandemic, Kızıldağ said, “They discovered a destination where all-inclusive is very well implemented, where guest satisfaction is high, and increased their demand here. We all know what the British tourist potential is, they are in the top five as a traveling country. It is our most natural right to get the highest share from this cake as much as possible. Because we provide very good service. We provide a service that will make the British tourist very satisfied. In return, they respond to us by providing these percentage increases. I think that this momentum will grow and increase in the coming years and the British will reach 3 million, 4 million figures for Antalya.” News: Mehmet ÇINAR
Source: DHA
