After losing some of its competitive advantage due to rising prices, Türkiye faced significant challenges in generating demand in 2026, compounded by geopolitical developments. With 2026 not yet over, assessments that 2027 will also be a difficult year have already emerged, with current expectations indicating that next year may not differ significantly from 2026.
Speaking at the monthly meeting of the Mediterranean Touristic Hoteliers and Operators Association (AKTOB), President Kaan Kavaloğlu discussed changing competitive conditions in global tourism, new tourism stories and experiences for Türkiye, destination management, sustainability and Antalya’s strategies for the coming period.
Kavaloğlu also addressed the Türkiye-Italy tourism competition, new experience areas for Turkish tourism, the Czech Republic source market and Antalya’s tourism performance from January to August.
He said global tourism competition was no longer shaped solely by visitor numbers and stressed that Türkiye’s existing tourism infrastructure should be supported by new experience areas.
New experience areas on Türkiye’s agenda
Kavaloğlu said Türkiye has tourism assets across a wide range of areas, including culture, gastronomy, rural life, arts and festivals, nature, sports, production culture and local life.
He highlighted the importance of transforming these assets into new travel motivations and experiences, adding that Türkiye holds a strategic position thanks to its strong infrastructure and diverse tourism products.
“Another difficult year awaits us”
Assessing the outlook for 2027, Kavaloğlu said the year would not differ significantly from 2026.
“Another difficult year awaits us. The war between Russia and Ukraine and tensions in the Middle East are continuing. The most important point is economic developments. This year, airlines did not reflect their cost increases in their prices, but they will do so in 2027. Instead of double-digit growth, we will be struggling to maintain the figures we have,” Kavaloğlu said.
He said economic developments remained critical for the tourism sector and noted that airlines had not fully reflected their higher costs in ticket prices during 2026, but were expected to pass these costs on in 2027.
Kavaloğlu said the sector should focus on maintaining existing figures rather than targeting double-digit growth in the coming period.
Destination management and sustainability in focus
Destination management, accessibility, sustainability, technology, data use and coordination among local stakeholders were also among the key topics discussed at the meeting.
The importance of coordination among the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Tourism Promotion and Development Agency of Türkiye (TGA), local authorities, industry organisations and the private sector was also addressed.
The meeting also covered the role of public-private cooperation in strengthening destination competitiveness, supporting sustainable growth and increasing the added value generated by tourism.
Antalya’s future tourism strategies discussed
The AKTOB meeting also addressed Antalya’s current tourism performance and potential strategies for the coming period.
With competition in the global tourism market intensifying, participants discussed maintaining Antalya’s existing destination identity while expanding product diversity and developing its capacity for experience-focused tourism.
The meeting also covered issues related to shaping a roadmap for Antalya tourism in the coming period based on assessments from public- and private-sector representatives.
