(MENAFN) In June, Turkey experienced a significant revival in domestic tourism, surpassing expectations set by industry experts, particularly fueled by school closures on June 15 and an extended Eid al-Adha holiday from June 15 to 23.

Officials from the Turkish Travel Agencies Association (TURSAB) reported a robust start to the summer season, noting that domestic tourism activities exceeded anticipated levels. Hamit Kuk, chief adviser to the president of TURSAB, expressed surprise at the domestic tourism's strong performance, despite already high expectations for the international market during the summer season.

Key tourist destinations along Turkey's Mediterranean and Aegean coasts, including Antalya province renowned for its sunny beaches, witnessed a surge in visitor numbers. During the Eid holiday period alone, Antalya welcomed over 4 million visitors, with an unprecedented influx of approximately 1 million vehicles into the city, highlighting the region's popularity.

Riza Percin, chairman of the TURSAB Mediterranean Regional Representative Board, highlighted that Antalya Airport broke records for the number of arriving airplanes two weeks in a row. He described the current tourism season as the most vibrant in the past decade, emphasizing the bustling activity compared to previous years.

The upbeat performance in domestic tourism bodes well for Turkey's tourism sector, which aims to host 60 million tourists and generate USD60 billion in revenue for the year. The strong start in June indicates positive momentum towards achieving these ambitious targets, driven by robust local demand and favorable holiday periods.

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