Turkey is set to be one of the biggest holiday destinations for Brits in 2024 as reports claim the sunny hotspot is overtaking favourite France and catching up to Spain. Millions of Brits jet off each year, but where we are choosing to spend our summer breaks is changing.
While Spain has often been the choice for those wanting an all-inclusive, Brits who don’t like to fly or who want to be closer to home often go to France whether that’s Paris, Disneyland, the many Eurocamp cheap resorts or sunnier spots in the South. Being able to reach them by ferry, car or train is a major pull.
However, Turkey is now gaining an explosion of British visitors. In a report for World Travel Market 2023, data showed that while France and Spain have seen arrivals bounce back to 30% over pre-pandemic levels Turkey has seen a remarkable 70% rise.
Next year, it is believed that Turkey will overtake France as the second most popular European destination. While the sunny country – which is part in Europe and part in west Asia – has been a common choice for Brits for many years it’s now attracting more holidaymakers than ever.
In May 2020, Istanbul had just 1,000 foreign visitors due to the pandemic, but in April 2023, this figure had bounced back to 1.3 million. In August 2023, the huge city saw a whopping 1.7million visitors – with the UK being one of the top six countries of origin for holidaymakers.
It’s not just Istanbul, which boasts the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, palaces and Grand Bazaar, getting British visitors though. Antalya is gaining popularity thanks to its dozens of sandy beaches, large resort hotels, yacht-filled harbour and Roman ports.
The region – in the southern Mediterranean – is known as the Turquoise Coast due to the bright blue water you can swim in. Plus, hotel groups have caught on and are offering all-inclusive resort stays in the area for bargain prices. TUI shows stays in Antalya from as low as £251pp including flights.
Then there’s more unusual spots like Cappadocia – where you can see hot air balloons raise into the sky each sunrise. The surrounding area is a desert-like landscape full of unusual rock formations where you can ride horses and ATVs or even stay inside a cave hotel. Even influencers like model Demi Rose have taken stunning snaps in the region.
On top of these beautiful holiday spots there’s another reason why Brits are flocking to Turkey. Medical tourism is a small, but significant, part of Turkey’s growth numbers. In 2022, Turkey saw 1.2 million medical tourists, while the first half of 2023 alone saw 746,290 visitors for the same reason.
It looks like lots of Brits are flocking to Turkish cities for BBLs, hair transplants, nose jobs and “Turkey teeth” at a cheaper cost than similar procedures in the UK. However, some doctors have warned against leaving the UK for medical care.
The country as a whole welcomed 44.6 million tourists in 2022, and is on course to hit its target of 50 million visitors in 2023. Unfortunately, the UK is not attracting holidaymakers in the same way.
Our nation was the worst performing country in the top 10 European destinations. The report states that Britain’s recovery remains flat, with 2024 numbers predicted to be only slightly higher than 2019.
Juliette Losardo, Exhibition Director, World Travel Market London, said: "Turkey has been a long-standing supporter of WTM. We’re delighted to see that its inbound and domestic market is booming. European travellers are vital to the success of the global industry. The research shows that the market is effectively back in the black after the pandemic, which is good news for everyone."
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