Turkish Cyprus, Antalya set to anchor Türkiye’s New Year holiday period

ISTANBUL

Turkish Cyprus and Antalya hotels have emerged as top picks for year-end celebrations, with most hotels now bundling the midweek New Year’s Eve with the Jan. 1 holiday and weekend into attractive three- and four-night celebration packages.

Many hotels in Antalya are set to welcome well-known artists for year-end concerts, while others without headline shows are offering competitive early-booking discounts to attract guests.

Antalya's position as a premier New Year's hotspot mirrors its year-round dominance as a Mediterranean tourism powerhouse, drawing crowds from sun-seekers to holiday revelers.

Between January and October, the city welcomed 16.3 million foreign visitors. Russians formed the largest group of international arrivals, followed by Germans, Britons and Poles.

In the first 10 months of the year, 3.8 million Russians and 3.3 million Germans flew into Antalya, meaning one out of every four tourists in the city came from these two countries.

Their travel patterns, however, differed sharply.

Russian visitors flocked overwhelmingly to the peak summer season, filling hotels mainly from May through September in search of sun and sea. Germans, by contrast, leaned toward cooler shoulder and off-season travel, showing a marked preference for the spring months of February, March and April.

Monthly data show Russian arrivals peaking in September, while German arrivals reached their highest level in October.

Antalya has cemented its place as one of Türkiye’s flagship international resorts, renowned for its unrivalled array of luxury all-inclusive hotels. Visitors are drawn to Antalya not just for its guaranteed sunshine and beaches, but also for the chance to explore the region’s deep historical and archaeological treasures.

Beyond the main coastal hotspots of Antalya and Turkish Cyprus, popular winter destinations such as the northwestern province of Sakarya’s Sapanca, the western city of Afyonkarahisar and the eastern province of Kars’ Sarıkamış are also drawing interest for the year-end holiday period.