Travel has almost returned to its pre-pandemic glory. In November 2023, the United Nations World Tourism Organization noted that international travel was on track to reach 90% of pre-pandemic levels, with some 975 million people heading abroad throughout the year. And many of these international travelers have a common destination in mind: Turkey.
In December, Euromonitor International released its own report, the Top 100 City Destinations Index 2023, which details the world’s top 10 cities for international arrivals. Surprisingly, two of the four most visited cities in the world are in Turkey: Istanbul and Antalya.
“Istanbul tops the list for international arrivals in 2023 with 26% year-on-year growth, followed by London in second (up 17%) and Dubai in third (up 18%). ),” notes the report. This is perhaps not a big surprise, given that Istanbul is a sprawling megalopolis of 15.5 million people (the largest in Europe). More curious, however, is how Antalya, a city nestled on the Turkish Riviera and home to 1.3 million inhabitants, managed to welcome 16.5 million international visitors – more than Paris (population: 2.1 million ), Hong Kong (7.4 million), Bangkok (11 million inhabitants). million) and New York City (8.5 million), and more than 12 times its own population.
Antalya has long been a popular travel destination for Germans, Russians and Brits, who make up the vast majority of its international arrivals. Its turquoise waters, mild winters, scorching summers and 300 days of sunshine have historically made it a seaside destination, but its spectacular setting atop a limestone plateau facing Roman walls and Ottoman-era houses has led Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, once proclaimed: “There is no doubt that Antalya is the most beautiful place in the world.”