Mediterranean Touristic Hoteliers and Operators Association (AKTOB) President Kaan Kavaloğlu said the slowdown in Antalya tourism and the impact of geopolitical developments became increasingly visible in April.
Speaking at the association’s April dinner meeting, Kavaloğlu stated that the concept of 12-month tourism is not only about extending the season, but also about redesigning the future of destinations.
“We need to evaluate success in tourism not through peak-season occupancy rates alone, but through year-round mobility, employment continuity, local economic contribution and sustainable growth indicators,” he said.
“The main goal is to spread tourism throughout the year”
Kavaloğlu noted that the primary objective is to distribute tourism demand more evenly throughout the year, strengthen economic sustainability and grow while protecting the carrying capacity of destinations.
According to Kavaloğlu, global tourism data from both 2019 and 2024 showed that international visitor traffic remained heavily concentrated in the July-August peak season. However, first-quarter data for 2025 pointed to a more balanced start during the January-March period, signalling a gradual global shift toward reducing seasonality.
He also emphasized that destinations are now facing not only the challenge of growth, but also the pressure created by that growth.
“Overcrowded visitor flows bring infrastructure pressure, labor shortages, increasing environmental impacts, resource consumption, housing pressure and debates over local quality of life,” Kavaloğlu said.
He described year-round tourism as a model that creates stronger employment, more balanced income distribution, lower pressure on destinations, higher value creation and greater sustainability.
“The new question facing the sector is no longer how to grow tourism, but how to achieve balanced growth throughout the entire year,” he added.
“Key source markets slowed and geopolitical impacts intensified”
Kaan Kavaloğlu stated that Antalya’s tourism figures for the January-April 2026 period reflected a slowdown in key source markets as well as increasingly visible geopolitical effects.
According to the figures, the number of foreign visitors arriving in Antalya declined by 10.54 percent year-on-year to 1.63 million, while the overall total, including Turkish citizens living abroad, fell by 9.54 percent to 1.87 million.
Despite the slowdown, Kavaloğlu said Antalya continues to maintain its core tourism markets. However, he noted that weakening demand has become more noticeable in certain European market segments.
“At the same time, continued growth in alternative European markets, particularly Romania, highlights the importance of market diversification strategies,” he said.
Kavaloğlu added that destination perception, promotional activities and accessibility will play a critical role in the coming period.
