Antalya Governor Münir Karaloğlu said the number of Israeli tourists that visited Antalya last year increased by 60 percent compared to the previous year, with hotel and flight bookings also rising at the same rate.

Visiting Israel with a tourism and trade delegation, Karaloğlu met with journalists at a breakfast organized by the Turkish Embassy to Israel at the Tel Aviv Turkish Cultural Center. Turkish Ambassador to Israel Kemal Ökem also attended the breakfast.

Making statements to press members after the breakfast, Karaloğlu said the best year in terms of tourism between Israel and Turkey was 2008, noting: "A total of 558,000 Israeli tourists came to Turkey in 2008 and about 330,000 of them visited Antalya. Also, a total of 169,000 Israeli nationals visited Antalya last year." The number of Israeli tourists coming to Antalya in 2016 soared by 60 percent when compared to 2015. Karaloğlu stated that they expect this upward trend in hotel and flight bookings to continue into 2017, as well.

Stressing that they aim to achieve the same number of Israeli tourists seen in 2008 in a short period of time, Karaloğlu said: "We are here in Israel to repeat that 2008 record figure. We invite all Israelis to visit Antalya again. I hope to exceed the 2008 figures this year and next year."

THY to launch scheduled flights between Antalya and Tel Aviv

Underlining that one of the most attractive features of Antalya for Israeli tourists is its proximity, Karaloğlu stated it takes 50 minutes to fly between Antalya and Tel Aviv. He argued that, this being the case, scheduling direct flights between the two cities could be a great advantage.

According to Karaloğlu, Turkish Airlines (THY) is working on initiating flights between Antalya and Tel Aviv to make transport between the two cities easier and more comfortable for visitors.Karaloğlu also stated that there are important cruise ports in Antalya, with about 500 cruise ships arriving in the city every year.

Karaloğlu explained that a large number of tourist ships from Israel have stopped in Antalya in the past, adding: "We want to start these voyages again, and it will make us happy that Israeli citizens will visit Antalya by sea. In fact, both Turkey and Israel are eastern Mediterranean countries, and they have similar cultures, and eating and drinking habits. So, we know that Israeli tourists feel very happy and comfortable in Antalya. It is our pleasure to graciously welcome Israeli guests to the area and to send them back to their countries in a rested and happy manner."

Pointing out that Antalya is now one of the most peaceful and safest tourist destinations in the world, Karaloğlu also emphasized that they take extensive security measures.