This seaside holiday resort that sits along the same part of the southern Turkish coast as Bodrum, Marmaris and Fethiye is quickly becoming a popular destination with travelers from Western Europe. The growth of tourism in this area of Turkey was always predicted but the speed with which that growth has accelerated is taking a few people by surprise.
The coastline in this part of the country is certainly impressive and a warm, reliable climate plus the clear blue waters of the Eastern Mediterranean, give it plenty of features with which to attract holidaymakers. Antalya is years behind some of its Western Mediterranean counterparts in terms of development and modernization, but that will ultimately work to its advantage as long the authorities keep things under control.
The local authorities have already identified and approved certain areas around Antalya for further development to support the tourism sector. These include an area of land close to Lara Beach for the development of a Theme park in a parcel of land between the beach/support road and the main coastal highway. Another area identified for development is close to the village of Belek where plans for a sports tourism complex are proposed.
Golfers are already talking about Belek becoming one the primary resort areas for golf courses, with some are promoting its potential to rival places like Malaga and the Algarve. There are already somewhere in the region of 10 operational courses in the region with talks of at least the same number again being built in the next decade. Many of the courses are being built in conjunction with luxury hotels and not relying on the purchase of associated holiday homes as was the case in the Algarve.
The inland areas are also capable of attracting sportsmen and women in disciplines other than the typical holiday sports such as golf and tennis. The Antalya region already has some recognized climbing areas and mountain biking also finds favor in the vast wooded plains and hillsides away from the sea. There is even a small ski resort in the Taurus mountains.
For several years already, Turkey has had a good reputation in the eyes of people purchasing holiday homes and villas. In the past the first choices of holiday home buyers would have been places like the Canaries, Mallorca, France or Southern Spain in areas like Malaga, Nerja and Murcia. But now Turkey is gaining ground and there are many locations with large scale housing developments such as Izmir. Further south is the town of Kusadasi which is currently being totally transformed by all the investment in the area.
Support for new businesses and the setting of appropriate standards of development is always a balancing act for authorities that are charged with promoting growth and investment, while at the same preserving the geographical and cultural attractions that started to bring tourists to an area in the first place. There are many examples already where this has been done successfully and also not done very well, so the Turkish authorities have plenty of experience to call upon.
Associated businesses such theme parks, water parks and other attractions are also important if areas are to attract families, and no resort of any scale can hope to survive without meeting the needs of those with children.
Events are also an important part of any thriving tourist area and are somewhat lacking in the Antalya area at the moment. Culture in this southern part of Turkey is abundant with thousands of year's worth of history to call upon but until now the local traditional and cultural circles have been largely contained to the Turkish residents. This needs to change and see cultural opportunities being opened up to wider audiences and new events conceived for tourism.
Non traditional events too have a big place and the area could easily start to raise its ambitions in terms of musical, theatrical and sporting productions. There is already a large scale International Film Festival in Antalya and an International Music Festival. A folk music festival takes place during August and there are some performances in the huge ancient amphitheater at Aspendos to the East of Antalya.
There is certainly an audience for more modern music events as can be seen by the very successful night clubs in Bodrum. Apart from the odd small rock festival, contemporary music events are few and far between. Some organizers have even resorted to hosting their own private parties to cater for the demand.
The Canaries would serve as a good template for the Turks. Looking at their flourishing cultural and sporting event calendars, the Canaries promote a surprisingly large number of events given the size of the islands and the fact that tourism has grown steadily on the islands for the past 20 years is a clear example of what can be achieved.
Many people are taking cheap flights to Antalya to experience for themselves the attractions of this growing Turkish holiday area. Read more about holidays in Turkey in other reports by Mark Bartley.
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