As one door shuts, another may open for Antalya

The diplomatic crisis with Russia has hit Turkey's Mediterranean resort of Antalya the hardest. When visiting the city, where the economy is mainly based on tourism and agriculture, it is impossible not to see the impact of this crisis. Yet, as one door shuts for Antalya, others seem to be opening. 

Before elaborating on the new opportunities arising for the city, let's make a quick visit to see what is now happening. Tourist facilities in Antalya, which hosts nearly one-third of all tourists visiting Turkey, are preparing for the summer season under a cloud. When walking around Kaleiçi, the historic city center, nearly empty shops and restaurants cannot be unseen. Most of the hotels are saying they are not hopeful for this season and have kept their repair and maintenance works at a minimum. 

Antalya saw a drop of almost 90 percent in the number of Russian tourists in the first four months of the year from the same period in 2015, while the number of tourists visiting the resort by air decreased 30 percent in the mentioned period to 843,517, according to data from the Civilian Administration of the Antalya Airport. 

Antalya also saw a drop of some 30 percent in the number of German tourists in the January-April period of this year compared to the same period in 2015. 

The Russian sanctions have also had a significantly negative effect on the city's agricultural sector, which once made most of its exports to this country. 

At this point, a number of bright points need to be mentioned. While losing a significant number of Russian and partly German tourists, Antalya has become a popular spot for top-level international events.
 Representatives from the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality said the city started to take a...