Tourist Flood in Antalya Before Christmas Celebrations

More than 20 thousand tourists from various countries, including 10 thousand from Germany, came to Antalya on Sunday, December 22, before Christmas, one of the holy days of the Christian world.

Christmas, which Christians consider to be the birthday of Jesus, is celebrated by Catholics on December 24-25 and by Orthodox Christians on January 6-7. In European countries, Christmas celebrations begin on December 24 and are combined with New Year's Eve, while in Russia and CIS countries, they begin on New Year's Eve and continue until January 7. One of the most important addresses for the Christmas holiday is the five-star hotels in Antalya. Antalya, which has broken records in the number of tourists compared to previous years, also experiences Christmas abundance in December. Tourism sector representatives stated that the occupancy rate in open hotels in Antalya exceeded 90 percent between December 24 and January 7.

HOTELS WERE DECORATED COLORFULLY

Hotels were illuminated for the Christmas and New Year's holidays and decorated with colorful ornaments, especially Santa Claus and his reindeer, which symbolize Christmas and New Year's Eve. Hotels in Antalya are decorated with both colorful objects and lights every New Year's Eve. On the evening of December 24, dinners with special menus are prepared for foreign tourists in these hotels.

Announcing the flight plans for December and before Christmas, Antalya City Council Tourism Working Group President Recep Yavuz said, “Christmas is celebrated at the same time all over Europe. While all holidays are normally celebrated differently from country to country and even in different states within a country, only Christmas and New Year's are celebrated on the same date in the entire Christian world. It is a holiday that lasts 11-14 days and brings 3 generations together. Grandfathers and grandmothers travel with their grandchildren during the Christmas holiday," he said.

TWO TYPES OF HOLIDAY STAND OUT

Yavuz, who explained that two main types of holidays stand out, said, “The first is a snow-ski holiday, the second is a sunny seaside. Grandmothers and grandfathers in particular want to escape the gloomy days of winter and soak up some winter sun. Most of them prefer a cold cocktail under the pines and palm trees instead of hot drinks in their own country. The fact that prices are attractive in the winter period is another reason to go on holiday. In addition, a few sunny days and a temperature of 20 degrees are decisive. In this context, Turkey, Egypt and Spain are the most important alternatives for those who turn to the Mediterranean."

ANTALYA'S ONLY COMPETITOR IS MAJORCA

Recep Yavuz, who explained that arrivals to Antalya, which has been normal since the beginning of December, increased during the weekend, said, “When we look at the flights on the weekend before Christmas, we see a record number of flights to Antalya, especially from Germany. On December 22, more than 10,000 tourists came to Antalya from Germany on 55 planes. 12 planes came from England and 10 from Russia. In total, approximately 20,000 people entered from abroad. Majorca is Antalya's only rival. During this period, there were arrivals from 40 countries to Antalya and 20 countries to Majorca. Especially more tourists from England came to Antalya in December. Health tourism also has a share in this," he said.