In 2024, Antalya achieved a significant milestone by hosting 17,278,103 visitors. Candemir Zoroğlu, the provincial director of Culture and Tourism, shared this impressive figure while discussing the tourism data for the year. He noted that, among the region's ancient sites, the Patara Ancient City was the most visited, while the Antalya Museum was the top museum in terms of visitors.
Zoroğlu highlighted a 5% increase in museum visits compared to the previous year. In 2024, the Antalya Museum welcomed 175,970 visitors, followed by the Antalya Mevlevi Lodge Museum, with 155,332 visitors and the Antalya Atatürk House Museum, which attracted 153,903 visitors. These numbers reflect a growing interest in the region's rich cultural heritage.
Antalya's ancient sites also saw a significant rise in visitation. Approximately 2.3 million people visited the historical sites in the region in 2024. Patara ranked the highest, with 356,199 visitors, followed by Phaselis with 337,938 and Aspendos with 326,648 visitors. These figures underscore the appeal of the area's ancient landmarks.
Zoroğlu emphasized that efforts to preserve and promote Antalya's cultural heritage continue to be a priority. In 2024, archaeological excavations took place at 28 different sites, with a budget allocation of TL 500 million ($13.92 million) for these projects. Notable excavations in ancient cities such as Syedra, Aspendos, Phaselis and Myra-Andriake have revealed important findings, shedding light on the region's rich archaeological history.
Zoroğlu further shared that a total of 105,845 artifacts are currently registered in local museums, with 886 new pieces added to the collections in 2024. Additionally, renovations at the Antalya Archaeological Museum are set to begin this year and efforts are underway to establish an Underwater Archaeology Museum in Kemer.
One of Zoroğlu’s main goals is to extend Antalya's tourism season throughout the year. He mentioned that this objective is one of the region's top priorities and it is being pursued through a range of high-quality tourism offerings, including cultural tourism, sports and gastronomy. The expansion of these sectors is expected to further solidify Antalya's position as a leading destination for international visitors.
