Türkiye has maintained stability in the tourism sector despite regional crises, and it continues its efforts in line with its growth targets, according to Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) in Antalya, where he was attending events of the Türkiye Culture Route Festival over the weekend, Ersoy recalled the earlier crises but said that Ankara changed its approach regarding how the sector tackles them.
Pointing to the Russia-Ukraine war, the war in Iran and developments in the Gulf region, Ersoy said Türkiye has maintained its stability in the region through its foreign policy, contributions to peace and strong structure.
Explaining that they had changed their strategy regarding how the tourism sector responds to crises, Ersoy noted that in the past, the season would be closed during periods of crisis and the sector would wait for the following year, but that this approach had now changed.
The minister said they had taken steps since 2018 to increase the sector's resilience to crises, emphasizing that the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), established in 2019, had played an important role in increasing product diversity, developing new markets and promotional activities.
Noting that reservation cancellations had occurred following the outbreak of the war in Iran, Ersoy said the losses had been offset through swift action, promotional efforts and sales campaigns.
"We continue on our path with the goal of growth at all times, maintaining our stability by understanding the realities of living in this region and strengthening our immunity against crises," Ersoy said.
"We generated $25.5 billion in tourism revenue in the third quarter of this year, marking a 5% increase. In the first nine months of the year, we reached $51.3 billion in revenue, up 2.4%," he said, referring to recently announced figures.
Stating also that Türkiye has stood out through international events, Ersoy said COP31 would be held following the NATO Summit, while Formula 1 would return to Türkiye next year.
Emphasizing that COP31 had brought significant gains and investments to Antalya, he suggested that road and infrastructure works had been completed in the Serik, Belek and Aksu districts as part of preparations for the event.
Ersoy also noted Antalya's EXPO site had been transformed into a center capable of hosting international congresses, adding that the venue would be transferred to the Culture and Tourism Ministry following the event and that efforts would be made to organize international congresses there throughout the year.
"One of our major goals in tourism is sustainability. Alongside sustainability, we also aim to spread tourism activity across all 12 months of the year," Ersoy said.
Moreover, providing information about the reconstruction of the Antalya Museum, Ersoy said the new museum is scheduled to open in 2027.
Noting that the new museum would have twice as much indoor space and three times as much exhibition space as the previous building, he said this would allow many artifacts currently kept in storage to be displayed to visitors.
Ersoy added that the new museum would become an important cultural center for Antalya residents and tourists visiting the city.
