Turkey’s tourism sector happy with influx of tourists due to holidays both domestic and abroad

The tourism sector, which kicked off the 2024 season with the Nevruz, Easter, and Ramadan holidays, will enter the summer season with four holidays, including King’s Day in the Netherlands, Victory Day in Russia, Pentecost in Germany, and Eid al-Adha.

Traditionally, the tourism season in Turkey begins with Tourism Week, which falls between April 15th and 22nd. However, this year, with the addition of three holidays, the season started approximately one month earlier.

Having opened the 2024 season early with Nevruz, Easter, and Ramadan holidays, the tourism sector will experience four significant holiday periods in the coming two months. These include holidays linked to King’s Day in the Netherlands on April 27th, Victory Day in Russia celebrated on May 9th, Pentecost in Germany at the end of May, and Eid al-Adha in mid-June.

20 PERCENT INCREASE COMPARED TO LAST YEAR

President of the Mediterranean Hoteliers and Operators Association (AKTOB), stated that this year, the tourism season started early with the Nevruz, Easter, and nine-day Ramadan holiday periods beginning in the third week of March.

He noted a 20% increase in tourist numbers compared to last year, stating, “This is probably the best start to the first three months we’ve had. Currently, Russia, Germany, the UK, and Poland are our most influential markets. Having a good April is very positive.”

FOUR MORE HOLIDAYS TO COME

He also mentioned that there were more holiday periods to come, saying, “At the end of April, there is a holiday period in the Netherlands. Then, at the beginning of May, there is a holiday in Russia. From the third week onwards, there is a holiday in Germany. Then, in June, there is the Eid al-Adha holiday, followed by July and August. So, our current expectations are entirely positive.”

He shared the targets set by the Minister of Culture and Tourism, saying, “Our Minister of Culture and Tourism has a goal, which is $60 billion in revenue and 60 million tourists. Antalya will surpass 17 million visitors this year. As of this weekend, more than 1.5 million people have visited Antalya. This 1.5 million is very valuable. It corresponds to an increase of approximately 20% compared to last year.”