Anticipating the start of the new resort season, experts in the Turkish travel industry forecast that this year the number of Russian tourists visiting Antalya will increase. In an interview with the newspaper Hurriyet, the head of the Association of hoteliers and tour operators of the Mediterranean Kaan Kavaloglu stated, “We expect the Russian market to grow by at least 10% compared to 2023.” He mentioned that despite competition from other tourist destinations, Antalya remains the number one choice for Russians. This opinion and the same growth rate of tourists are agreed upon by the chief adviser of the Association of tour operators of Turkey Hamit Kuk. He also did not rule out that German tourists may surpass Russians in the number of visits.
Meanwhile, representatives of the Russian tourist industry are not rushing to share such optimistic forecasts as their Turkish colleagues.
“It’s still too early to talk about whether the tourist traffic will increase by 10% or decrease by the same amount,” noted Vice-President of the Russian Union of travel industry Yuri Barzykin. “Yes, Turkey remains the number one vacation destination for our tourists, just like Antalya is the main gateway in this country for our tourists. But it’s important to remember that a lot of players entered the tourist market last year and slightly earlier. This includes Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, and even Egypt… Substantial grounds are needed to hope for such growth.”
According to him, it can be said for now that the flow in the Turkish direction should at least remain at last year’s level. “A growth of 10%, as mentioned by Turkish tour operators, still needs to be earned, as much will depend on their appetites and the cost of vacation in this country,” Barzykin concluded.
It is worth noting that according to official data, last year almost 3.5 million Russian tourists visited Antalya, which is 14% more than in 2022. However, the change in the cost of vacation in the region has led to a reorientation of Russians to other destinations.
Earlier reports stated which directions will be the leading ones in terms of tourist flow this year.