Türkiye’s top Mediterranean resort city has made a robust start to August, with bookings rebounding after lagging in the previous two months, turning the tide, with industry officials seeing high demand extending the season.
Hotels in southern Antalya have seen occupancy rates soar beyond 90% in August, surpassing the 70% recorded in July, spurred by demand from Russia, as well as Germany, the United Kingdom and Poland.
Separate data showed the number of tourists landing in the province surpassed 9 million, marking a more than 20% year-over-year increase from a year ago. Some 872,000 visitors arrived in the first 10 days of August alone, an 11% increase versus 2022, the Antalya Governorate data said.
With these figures, Antalya is said to have outpaced the landmark year of 2019.
Industry representatives highlight that robust bookings for September and October suggest that the tourism season is poised to extend well into November.
The rebound follows a brief turbulence, particularly due to devastating earthquakes that struck Türkiye’s southeastern region in early February.
A notable decline in demand from Russian and Ukrainian visitors, who are increasingly investing in real estate in Antalya, led to a slight decrease in hotel bookings. The situation was further exacerbated by a 50% increase in hotel prices compared to the previous year.
Hotels sought alternative marketing strategies and reduced prices by approximately 20%, leading to a notable resurgence in bookings for the month of August, according to sector representatives. The shift in pricing and strategy allowed Antalya’s hotels to regain momentum and achieve higher occupancy rates.
Kaan Kavaloğlu, the head of the Mediterranean Association of Hoteliers and Operators (AKTOB), highlighted the impact of foreign real estate investments on occupancy rates.
Kavaloğlu stated that foreigners had purchased approximately 110,000 properties in Antalya, leading to increased competition for accommodation among tourists. Many of these properties are being rented out to friends and family, leading to a slight reduction in hotel bookings, he added.
He emphasized the importance of effective regulation in managing this evolving landscape. He noted that the Culture and Tourism Ministry is actively addressing this issue and plans to introduce new measures by the end of the year.
Despite these challenges, he confirmed that Antalya’s hotels have successfully lowered prices for August, resulting in current occupancy rates exceeding 90%.
“We think that these occupancy rates will continue in September and October. The season will extend until mid-November,” said Kavaloğlu.
