(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) The number of tourists arriving by air in the southern holiday
destination of Antalya has exceeded 13 million since the start of
the year, says Ersin Yazici, the city governor, trend reports citing hurriyet daily
news .
The latest official data showed that the city on the
Mediterranean coast welcomed 12.7 million foreign tourists in the
January-October period, marking a robust 48 percent from a year ago
and signaling that the tourism activity in Antalya is returning
fast to the pre-pandemic level.
People from the tourism industry expect foreign tourist arrivals
in the city, which is particularly popular with Russian and German
holidaymakers, to reach 14 million by the end of the year.
In 2019, Antalya saw 15.5 million foreign tourists, the
largest-ever figure on record.
Türkiye has been one of the countries engaged in the most
intensive and effective efforts to promote itself as a holiday
destination thanks to the establishment of the Tourism Promotion
and Development Agency (TGA), Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy
said while speaking at the parliament's budget and planning
committee.
“Those efforts continued in 2022. Special promotion campaigns
are reaching out to 200 countries through magazines, TV ads, social
media and by hosting journalists, tour operators and influencers,”
the minister added.
As a result of those activities, 40 million visitors arrived in
Türkiye in the January-September period, and the country's tourism
revenues surpassed $35 billion, he noted.
The minister recalled that according to the revised targets,
Türkiye will host more than 50 million tourists and generate a
record $44 billion in tourism revenues this year.
“Thanks to the measures taken and the right policies
implemented, the V-shape recovery in the tourism sector
continued.”
More than 12,000 facilities and vehicles were inspected by
international audit companies, commissioned by the TGA and received
the 'Safe Tourism Certificate' as of June, he said.
“Türkiye will set an example to the world with the 'Sustainable
Tourism Program,' which will be launched soon,” Ersoy said.
The number of facilities with the environment-friendly
certificate and nearly 290,000 beds has reached 446, according to
the minister. Under the“Sustainable Tourism Program,” which covers
2023-2030, all accommodation facilities will gradually become
environment-friendly, he said.