Antalya

The recent occurrence of two deadly Kahramanmaraş-centered quakes on Feb. 6 has prompted a shift in housing preferences in Antalya, with the once sought-after properties with picturesque sea views giving way to a new demand for earthquake-resistant buildings.

The number of Blue Flag beaches in Türkiye has risen to 551, the Culture Ministry has said.

The Blue Flag awards for 2023 have been announced, and 551 beaches, 23 marinas, 14 tourism boats and 10 private yachts have been awarded with a Blue Flag, according to a statement of the ministry.

Foreign tourist arrivals in Antalya slowed in the first half of May, Recep Yavuz from the Antalya City Council Tourism Working Group has said, adding that this was due to fewer visits by Russian holidaymakers.

Antalya saw a record number of foreign tourist arrivals in January, February, March and April this year. However, tourism activity appeared to have lost some momentum in May.

A 118-year-old secondary school in the southern province of Antalya, which was once used as a military hospital in the Turkish War of Independence, will be restored.

Located in the historical district of Kaleiçi, Dumlupınar Secondary School draws attention with its story witnessing the history of the region.

Parking caravans on roads in the southern province of Antalya, which has been dealing with this problem for quite some time as caravans lining the beach and occupying the streets both project an ugly sight and cause traffic problems, will no longer be allowed, the municipality's transportation center has said.

Following post-earthquake inspections in the southern province of Antalya that witnessed the deadly Feb. 6 quakes, a structure on the cliff, which even has a cave underneath, has been deemed as "safe" and does not require reinforcement, as per a report, which has sparked a nationwide debate.

Foreign tourist arrivals by air in Antalya leaped 48 percent in the January-April period from a year ago, official data have shown.

From January to April, 1.8 million foreign holidaymakers arrived in the city, which is located on the Mediterranean coast.

Some 38 out of every 100 house sales to foreigners have been made in the southern province of Antalya, with mostly Russians preferring to buy houses in Türkiye compared with other nationals, data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) have shown.

Within the scope of the works carried out by the Culture and Tourism Ministry's General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums on the return of historical artifacts smuggled from Türkiye in the past, efforts are underway to return the head of the life-size bronze statue of Roman Emperor Septimius Severus from Denmark. The body of the statue has been returned from the U.S.

The number of foreign tourists visiting Türkiye's popular holiday destination Antalya has already exceeded 1 million.

Antalya made a good start to 2023 in terms of tourism activity, and tourist inflow has been strong, Governor Ersin Yazıcı said.