German, British, and Russian tourists are content exclusively with beach vacations and hotel amenities in Turkish Antalya, sitting in hotels almost without a trace. Their refusal to actively buy tours has upset the local tour operators, who are not only losing profits because of this but also experiencing huge losses that can lead to a series of bankruptcies by the end of the season.
Although the inbound foreign tourist flow in the southern Turkish province of Antalya is approaching 11 million, local entrepreneurs involved in tourism have noticed an unpleasant trend – tourists have stopped going on excursions, instead, they are sitting awkwardly in hotels, diluting their rest except by swimming in the sea or by going to the nearest markets. According to Turkiye Turizm, we are talking, first of all, about active types of tourism: safaris on jeeps, horses, quad bikes, and buggy safaris.
“We have great difficulties in finding tourists from hotels as part of safari tours. We are sad that European, German, Russian, or Scandinavian tourists return to their countries without making any active tours of the historical and natural beauty of Manavgat. Many tourists also come to Antalya. But they don’t take part in any activities when leaving the hotel,” complained Recep Erguvan, head of the ATV Quad & Buggy Safari tour company in Manavgat, from the pages of a Turkish newspaper.
This is probably because some visitors prefer to relax at the resort, not wanting to spend time and effort on organizing sightseeing tours. Also, it is possible that some travelers simply do not realize the richness and variety of historical and natural attractions of Manavgat and Antalya and, therefore, do not feel an interest in active excursions, although they used to be and most likely got confused with the increase in the cost of tours to Turkey.
Erguvan and his colleagues drew attention to the fact that lying on the beach will not reveal the beauty of the region, you need to get out of the hotel area and immerse yourself in the rich cultural and natural heritage of Turkish cities, especially since Antalya and Manavgat offer unique opportunities for this. Tourists can visit ancient cities, explore amazing landscapes and water sports, and immerse themselves in local history and culture through tours.
According to them, the new trend is dangerous, as it negatively affects the local economy: the lack of demand for excursions reduces income and spoils the business of local tour operators and guides. After a series of motivational messages, travel agencies, and local organizers hope that the emergence of information about the riches available in Antalya and Manavgat will encourage more holidaymakers to take active adventures and learn about cultural heritage in the current season.