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Tourist influx continues to Japan, which has broken the record for foreign visitors

The Far Eastern country of Japan continues to be a focal point for tourists. Following a record number of visitors in June and July, the interest from foreign tourists continued this month as well. Over the weekend, there was a heavy presence of foreign visitors in Harajuku and Shibuya, two of Tokyo's most popular tourist areas. The streets were filled with tourists, some capturing memories with photos while others enjoyed shopping. Burhan Keleş, who works at a kebab shop on one of Shibuya's busiest streets, noted that the increase in foreign tourists was partly due to the recent depreciation of the Japanese yen. "This has positively impacted our business," said Keleş. "Even though it's usually a slow season, our business is better than during normal seasons. While our usual customers are mostly Japanese, the influx of foreign visitors this year has resulted in more foreign customers." "The reason for the influx of foreign visitors is social media" Leo Brown, who came from Melbourne, Australia, mentioned that he chose Japan because it is currently experiencing summer, unlike his home country, which is in winter. Brown attributed the surge in tourists to social media, saying, "Social media, especially TikTok, is filled with content about Japan and tourist attractions. I believe this is the main factor." Michael Sean, a U.S. citizen living in Japan, said that the tourist boom had multiple causes. He pointed out that the end of the COVID-19 pandemic was a significant factor, stating, "Once people regained the opportunity to travel, many from regions like Europe and the U.S. started coming to Japan. In recent years, airline tickets were also very expensive." Sean added that social media usage and interest in Japanese culture have also increased the number of foreign visitors, saying, "As a result, more visitors than ever have come to the country, leading to a tourist boom." Japanese citizen Nana Ozawa commented on foreigners' interest in Japan, saying, "First of all, Japan is very safe. The food is delicious, and there are fantastic places to see." Visitor Record Broken According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a record 3.14 million in June, and the record was renewed with 3.29 million visitors in July.

Visitor record broken at Antalya Airport

While presenting the data for the first six months, Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy indicated that tourism activity would increase following the end of the European championship. After this, Minister Ersoy made an important announcement on his social media account. All-time daily international passenger record In his announcement, Minister Ersoy highlighted that Antalya is a favorite among tourists not only for its magnificent beaches but also for its rich history, captivating natural beauty, and unique cultural heritage, and he declared a new visitor record at Antalya Airport. Minister Ersoy stated: "We have broken the all-time daily international passenger record at Antalya Airport. With the number of tourists arriving in our beautiful Antalya, the perfect meeting point of history, nature, and culture, surpassing 104,000 yesterday, we set a new record. In the first three days of August alone, we hosted approximately 280,000 tourists in Antalya, which is a favorite among tourists not only for its magnificent beaches but also for its rich history, captivating natural beauty, and unique cultural heritage. This remarkable success, with a 10% increase compared to the same period last year, is thanks to everyone involved." On the first three days of August, the number of tourists arriving in Antalya by plane reached 278,854, bringing the total for 2024 to 9,290,308. These figures represent a 10% increase compared to the same period in 2023. On August 3rd of the previous year, 88,250 international passengers arrived. Additionally, on August 3rd, there were 1,217 aircraft landings and takeoffs at Antalya Airport. This activity once again underscored the significance of Antalya in tourism.

Record in tourism revenues in the first 6 months

Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced the tourism data for the first 6 months of 2024 at a meeting held at the Atatürk Cultural Center. Minister Ersoy reported a record tourism revenue of 23.7 billion dollars in the first half of the year. Highlighting that the records in tourism revenues will continue in the subsequent quarters, Ersoy said, "We might exceed our year-end target of 60 billion dollars." Minister Ersoy noted that the average spending per night per foreign visitor increased from 103 dollars in the first half of last year to 109 dollars this year. For all visitors, the average spending per night was 98 dollars in the first 6 months. Ersoy stated, “Considering our year-end target of 103 dollars for all visitors, we can say that we are progressing in line with our goal. The average length of stay in the first half of 2024 was 10.1 days. Our year-end target is 9.7 days. We foresee that we will likely exceed our target of 9.7 days average stay." Providing information on visitor numbers, Minister Ersoy stated, "In the first quarter, the number of foreign visitors increased by 13.9% compared to the same period last year, reaching 26 million 137 thousand." He added that Russia ranked first with 2.7 million visitors, followed by Germany with 2.5 million visitors and the United Kingdom with 1.8 million visitors. Minister Ersoy emphasized that visitor numbers have been rising month by month since the pandemic, saying, "When we look at visitor numbers on a monthly basis, we compare the years 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2024. The record number of 21 million 152 thousand during the pandemic had decreased, but it has risen again. This year, we reached a record level with 26 million 137 thousand visitors in the first 6 months. We continue to grow in line with our year-end targets." "EURO 2024 and Olympic events impacted visitor numbers" Minister Ersoy pointed out a slowdown in the growth rate of visitor numbers in June, indicating that this slowdown will continue in July and August. He cited the European Championship and the Paris Summer Olympics as reasons, stating, "Due to the impact of these tournaments, the slowdown in June will continue in July and August. We will see an increase in growth rates again starting from September. We might exceed our year-end target of 60 million visitors." “Local administrations approached tourism projects politically in Çeşme and Bodrum” Minister Ersoy attributed the recent low occupancy rates in Bodrum and Çeşme primarily to the inability to extend the tourism season to 12 months and catering only to Turkish visitors. Minister Ersoy said, “The fact that the Greek islands offer visas at the door might have had an effect. Turkish visitors may have stayed for shorter periods compared to last year. However, the core issue is that the Çeşme and Bodrum regions have not been able to extend the season to 12 months and have focused predominantly on a single market. A sector focused on the Turkish market has been created." “Direct flights from İzmir and Bodrum to many destinations worldwide were planned” Reminding that after taking office in 2018, they developed the Aegean Tourism Centers and Çeşme Project, along with Didim projects, to develop Aegean tourism centers and extend the season to 12 months, Ersoy said, "These projects were designed to extend the season to 12 months in the Aegean tourism regions. There would be accommodation options appealing to everyone with sports activities, cultural and art centers, and high-quality bed capacity. With this project, İzmir and Bodrum would be connected to many points worldwide, especially Europe, with direct flights. However, local administrations approached the project politically, and many legal processes were initiated. It is progressing slowly. If this process had not been blocked, the process we started in 2018 would have been implemented." “Touristic visits to Kariye Mosque will cost 20 euros” Minister Ersoy shared a new regulation regarding the Kariye Mosque, which was reopened for worship on May 6. He announced that Kariye Mosque will be managed with a visitor management plan in line with UNESCO rules. Ersoy said, “It will be open only for worship to local and foreign visitors on Fridays. On other days, it will be open for both visits and worship. As of August 19, touristic visits will cost 20 euros per person. All revenue will go to the General Directorate of Foundations.” “Over 40,000 houses will serve tourism purposes” Sharing results related to tourism housing, Ersoy stated, “So far, certificates have been issued for 32,904 houses. The procedures for 29,789 of them have been completed. Procedures for 2,364 facilities are ongoing. There are 8,476 facilities under review. If we can start working with document scans and on-site determinations, it appears that over 40,000 houses will be ready to serve tourism purposes.”

Trabzon is on the way to a tourism record with cruises and increasing flights

Provincial Culture and Tourism Director Tamer Erdoğan stated that Trabzon is one of the important tourism centers of the Eastern Black Sea region. Trabzon, which hosted over 1.319 million visitors last year, is expected to attract even more tourists this year with the increase in direct flights and visa exemptions. The start of direct flights, especially from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Dubai, has led to an increase in the number of foreign tourists. Cruise tourism is also reviving. In 2022, Trabzon hosted nearly 5,000 passengers with 8 ships, and in 2023, it welcomed 16,728 passengers with 23 ships. In 2024, it is planned that 21 more cruise ships will arrive. Tourists visiting Trabzon express their admiration for the city's nature and tourism opportunities. Ibrahim Khalil from Oman and Hassan Daghriri from Saudi Arabia mentioned that they returned to rediscover the beauty of Trabzon.

New record in Antalya tourism

Antalya, known as the tourism capital of Turkey, set a new record by welcoming nearly 4 million domestic and international visitors in the first five months of the year. This year, the tourism city had a strong start to the season, achieving a new record with close to 4 million visitors in the first five months. The number of visitors Antalya hosted in the first five months of the year increased by 16.26% compared to the same period last year. Antalya refreshed its record for the best start in tourism ever, hosting a total of 3,959,267 visitors in the first five months. Germany again leads as the top sender of tourists to Antalya. In the ranking of countries sending the most tourists to Antalya during the first five months of the year, Germany retained its top position. The most visitors came from Germany with 974,272, followed by the Russian Federation with 857,862 visitors, and the United Kingdom with 451,341 visitors. Following the UK were Poland, the Netherlands, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belgium, and France. Compared to the same period last year, there was a notable increase in visitors from key market countries: 18% from Germany, 9% from Russia, 28% from the UK, 35% from Poland, 16% from the Netherlands, 12% from Kazakhstan, 59% from Ukraine, 12% from Belgium, and 39% from France. In May, Russia surpassed Germany in visitor numbers to Antalya, a popular destination for both domestic and international tourists due to its sea, sand, sun, historical and natural beauties, cultural structures, and ancient cities. Antalya broke another visitor record in May, with the number of visitors reaching 1,892,302, an increase of 18.72% compared to the same month last year. In the ranking of countries sending the most tourists to Antalya in May, the Russian Federation took the top spot. This May, Russia surpassed Germany by sending 491,078 visitors to Antalya. Germany was the second largest source of visitors with 434,609, followed by the United Kingdom with 185,221 visitors. Poland, the Netherlands, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Lithuania, Romania, and Belarus (White Russia) followed the UK in the list of countries sending the most visitors to Antalya in May. Compared to the same period last year, visitor numbers from key market countries in May saw significant increases: Russia by 26%, Germany by 14%, the UK by 23%, both Poland and the Netherlands by 38%, Kazakhstan by 11%, Ukraine by 66%, Romania by 45%, and Belarus by 36%.

The record for January-February in tourism for the past 10 years

Tourism started off quite rapidly in 2024. February 2024 marked the highest number of foreign tourists ever recorded for the month of February. In monthly terms, 2,295,000 tourists visited Turkey. The two-month period of 2024 stood out as the period with the highest total tourist arrivals for January-February. The total number of tourists visiting Turkey in the two-month period was 4,341,606. Consequently, the tourism sector, which completely recovered from the pandemic traces in the first two months of 2023, started 2024 with a new record. The first two-month data for 2024 in Turkish tourism, aiming for 60 million tourists and 60 billion dollars in revenue, indicates steady progress towards the target. Due to Ramadan, Ramadan Bayram, and changing weather conditions, the summer season started early in Turkey. GERMAN TOURIST PREFERENCE IN 2024 In the ranking of the countries whose citizens visit Turkey the most, Russia, Germany, Iran, Bulgaria, and Georgia generally make up the top five. In the ranking, as of the first two months of 2024, Iran surpassed other countries to take the first place. Germany, one of Turkey's source markets, is increasing the number of tourists it sends to Turkey compared to previous years. An increase of over 40 thousand tourists per month is observed. It is expected that German tourists will visit Turkey the most this year. 8% INCREASE As one of the significant destinations in world tourism, Istanbul hosted 2,457,518 foreign visitors in the first two months of 2024. The number of foreign visitors to Istanbul increased by 8.08% compared to the same period of the previous year. Hosting half of the total number of foreign visitors to Turkey in the first two months, Istanbul was mostly preferred by Russians in February. According to the data of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Istanbul hosted 1,291,522 foreign visitors in February, an increase of 19.14% compared to the same month of the previous year, becoming the locomotive of Turkish tourism. Russian Federation citizens took the first place with 138,957 visitors entering Istanbul in February. Germany was second with 95,465 visitors, Iran was third with 75,312 visitors, and the United Kingdom was fourth with 56,430 visitors. France followed the United Kingdom with 48,902 visitors, Saudi Arabia with 43,415 visitors, and the USA with 41,472 visitors. 904 THOUSAND PASSENGERS Istanbul Airport was the first choice for foreign visitors in February. Istanbul Airport was preferred by 904,642 foreign visitors in February. Istanbul Airport's share of the total number of foreign visitors arriving in Istanbul by air in February was 70.27%. Sabiha Gökçen Airport also welcomed 381,508 foreign visitors in February. The number of foreign visitors arriving in Istanbul by air in February increased by 19.17% compared to the same month of 2023, reaching 1,287,290. The number of foreign visitors arriving in Istanbul by sea last month was 4,232. THREE HOLIDAY TRAFFICS IN THE SECTOR Due to the Nevruz, which started on March 21 and lasts for 13 days, Easter on March 31, and Ramadan Bayram on April 10, there is a rapid traffic in internal tourism, entries from abroad, and reservations in the middle of the winter season. The intense mobility continues with the Nevruz Festival, which started on March 21. Reservations are increasing in Istanbul, Antalya, Cappadocia, Izmir, and other centers for the Easter Holiday on March 31. Meanwhile, the extended Ramazan Bayram holiday for 9 days is expected to boost the domestic market. FLIGHTS STARTED TO HATAY Hatay was one of the cities most affected by the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş. Hatay Airport, which was almost unusable, completed its renovation works. The first landing permission was requested from the tower, and flights started last week. Hatay Airport is once again serving with two-way flights as before. Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, who conducted inspections at the renewed airport, said, "The runway will be made suitable for wide-body aircraft to land with a width of 60 meters, a new parallel taxiway with a length of 2,720 meters, 2 rapid exits, and 4 connecting taxiways will be built." The completion of the works is planned for the first quarter of 2026.

Record number of tourists in Antalya

According to the announcement made by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Antalya, one of the world's popular tourism destinations, broke all-time tourism records last year. In 2023, Antalya received 15,689,258 tourists from international flights, and an additional 395,479 passengers arrived through transfers from various airports. Thus, a total of 16,084,737 tourists came to Antalya by air in 2023. MOST TOURISTS FROM RUSSIA Looking at the countries specifically, Russia was the country that sent the most tourists to Antalya, followed by Germany, the United Kingdom, Poland, the Netherlands, Kazakhstan, Romania, the Czech Republic, Israel, and Ukraine.

New target for Istanbul tourism: 20 million

Istanbul is breaking records in tourism. Firuz Bağlıkaya, the President of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies, stated that Istanbul will surpass 17 million visitors by the end of 2023, and he announced a new target of 20 million. Bağlıkaya pointed out that Istanbul hosts visitors from more than 200 countries and mentioned, "In 2023, 97.5% of visitors to Istanbul arrived by air. Istanbul Airport, with a capacity of 90 million passengers per year, has made a significant contribution to tourism in the city. The second runway of Sabiha Gökçen Airport, which has recently opened, will also give a new momentum to Istanbul tourism." Discussing the role of Istanbul in health tourism, Bağlıkaya said, "The number of hospitals in Istanbul that received a health tourism certificate has reached 188, medical centers have increased to 79, outpatient clinics to 1080, and the number of clinics and polyclinics is now 435."

Antalya Breaks New Year's Record

During the New Year's week, which covers the dates from December 23rd to December 30th, Antalya broke record after record in daily air arrivals. Antalya, one of the most important tourism centers in the Mediterranean with its sea, sand, sun, historical and natural beauties, cultural structures, and ancient cities, welcomed 121,139 tourists by air in the last week of the year. INCREASED IN THE LAST TWO DAYS According to the data from the Antalya Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, the daily entries on December 30th were 20,020, and on December 29th, they were 17,322. These entries for these two days surpassed both the daily entries of 2022 and 2019, setting a record as the best year-end daily entry in history. The air arrivals in December 2023 reached 302,505, exceeding December 2022 by 7% and December 2019 by 32%. This number is recorded as the highest data obtained from the international terminals of Antalya and Gazipaşa airports for the month of December. LAST DAY WITH SUMMER FEEL Antalya bid farewell to 2023 with a day reminiscent of summer. The air and sea water temperature was measured at 21 degrees. In the city where 90% of the 230,000 bed capacity in facilities serving during the winter period was filled, the beaches were crowded. While arrivals to the city continued throughout the day by air and land, the Antalya Police Department teams were also in the field for New Year's Eve. As part of the New Year's precautions, traffic control was carried out at 52 points in the city, and public order applications were conducted at 305 points. It was reported that nearly 1,000 teams and close to 5,000 personnel would be on duty during the New Year's period.