Antalya, Türkiye's busiest beach destination, received 12.48 million international visitors in the first nine months of 2026, according to provincial figures reported by Daily Sabah on Oct. 11. The total is 5.6% below the same period of 2025, equal to roughly 752,600 fewer foreign arrivals.
When domestic travellers are included, the province counted 13.33 million visitors between January and September. The summer quarter did most of the work: 7.23 million foreign visitors arrived between July and September, about 58% of the nine-month total, and August was the single busiest month with 2.52 million arrivals.
September itself brought 2.19 million foreign visitors, a fall of 3.5% compared with a year earlier. Because the September drop was smaller than the year-to-date trend, the cumulative decline eased from 6.1% after August to 5.6% after September.
Russia gains share as Western markets soften
Russia remained Antalya's top source market with about 3.3 million visitors, up 0.6% year on year. Its share of all foreign arrivals rose from 24.9% to 26.6%. Germany followed with around 2.53 million visitors, down 6.2%, while the United Kingdom sent 1.14 million, an 11.9% fall.
Poland was close behind Britain with 1,051,168 visitors over nine months, down 5.1%, and it overtook the UK for third place in September alone. Ukraine contributed 385,317 visitors, up 5.8%, and Kazakhstan 340,795, down 2.7% for the period but up 13.7% in September.
Romania recorded the steepest percentage fall among the top ten markets, sliding 16.1% to 332,235. Among smaller markets, Hungary rose 12.8% to 137,454, while Uzbekistan posted the fastest growth of all, up 49% to 61,511 visitors.
What it means for autumn travellers
Germany and the UK accounted for the largest falls in absolute numbers among the leading markets, while Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Hungary together added a net 57,167 visitors. For holidaymakers, softer demand from some Western European markets comes as the resort region moves into its shoulder season, when sea temperatures stay warm into October and the crowds of July and August have thinned.
The figures cover only Antalya province, which includes resorts such as Alanya, Side, Belek and Kemer, and do not reflect national arrival statistics.
Sources
Photo: FingerWiki / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
