Muğla, one of Turkey's popular tourism centers, hosted 1,251,796 tourists in the first six months of this year.
Muğla, which draws attention with its natural beauty and ancient cities, and has a capacity of 350,000 beds, continues to host a large number of domestic and foreign guests this year.
Among the tourists who prefer the region with famous destinations such as Bodrum, Marmaris, and Fethiye, the British once again rank first.
Muğla Governor İdris Akbıyık stated that the earthly paradise of Muğla is a tourism haven for both Turkey and the world, and that tourists come to the city from many countries.
Akbıyık, emphasizing that guests are hosted in the best possible way, said:
"The number of tourists who came to the city during the period from January 1 to June 30 reached 1,251,796. Of these, 594,991 were British. The UK is a main market for Muğla and Turkey. After the UK, the most tourists came from Russia with 116,623, Poland with 101,938, Germany with 80,923, the Netherlands with 30,134, and other countries with 327,187 tourists. There is a 12% increase compared to the same period last year."
Akbıyık stated that they expect the increase in the number of foreign tourists to continue in the coming months.
Emphasizing that Muğla, one of Turkey's top tourism centers, hosted approximately 3 million tourists last year, Akbıyık noted that besides foreign tourists, domestic tourists also create a significant presence in the city, with about 7 to 10 million local tourists visiting each year.
Governor Akbıyık highlighted that the UK is one of the largest source markets for both Muğla and Turkey, noting that, as every year, the majority of tourists this year also came from the UK.
Akbıyık explained that guests are hosted in the best possible way, emphasizing that Muğla, one of the world's important tourism destinations, stands out not only for its sea, sand, and sun but also for its historical and natural beauty, ancient cities, and luxury accommodation facilities.
He mentioned that cultural, artistic, and sports activities continue in the city throughout the year, and they plan to host more tourists this year than the previous year.
BRITISH TOURISTS DON'T GIVE UP ON MARMARIS
Suat Esin, Chairman of the Marmaris Regional Representation Board of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB), said that the main market of Marmaris is the UK, and this market continues to grow every year.
Esin stated that the number of British tourists coming to the region increased last year and continues to rise this year as well. "Our first flights from the UK started in the first week of March. Our first tourists arrived, and their numbers have been increasing ever since. There is a numerical increase in both the British and Polish markets. There was a 12% increase compared to last year," he said.
Esin mentioned that although there is a numerical increase, the recent price hikes have negatively impacted tourism. "There is a numerical increase, but it is not reflected in spending. The increase in prices will negatively affect tourism. General and local administrations must urgently find a solution to the price hikes, or we may face very big problems in the coming years," he said.
Esin added that British tourists will continue to come to the region in the coming months as well.
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