Antalya

Antalya operates as Turkey's tourism monoculture—a Mediterranean resort economy optimized to absorb the highest possible visitor volume. By November 2025, the province had welcomed 16.79 million visitors, on track to exceed 17 million for the year with approximately $17 billion in revenue. In July alone, the busiest month in five years, over 100,000 foreign arrivals landed in a single day. This concentration creates economic density unseen in Turkish provinces outside Istanbul.

The visitor composition reveals geopolitical currents. Russia dominated with 3.89 million tourists (January-October 2025), comprising 60.8% of all Russian arrivals in Turkey—a 3.3% increase year-over-year despite ongoing conflict. Germany holds steady as the second source market, with UK and Poland following. Turkish tourism benefits from Western sanctions diverting Russian travelers from European alternatives, creating dependency on a market whose access depends on continued non-alignment with sanctions regimes.

Beyond beach tourism, Antalya diversifies into medical and dental tourism, which grew 30% in 2025. The "golden autumn" branding for October-November attracted 2.7 million visitors (6% increase), extending the season beyond summer peaks. Yet the monoculture carries risks: inflation, regional conflicts, and economic downturns directly threaten an economy where tourism shapes everything. The original 18 million target was adjusted to 17 million as global conditions tightened. Turkey targets 65 million total visitors nationally ($64 billion revenue); Antalya's 17 million represents over a quarter of that goal. The province demonstrates both the power and fragility of tourism-dependent economies.