STORY: Türkiye's domestic tourism sees notable resurgence in June
SHOOTING TIME: June 24, 2024 
DATELINE: June 25, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:39
LOCATION: ISTANBUL, Türkiye
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of tourists
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): HAMIT KUK, Chief adviser to the president of the Turkish Travel Agencies Association
3. various of traffic in Türkiye
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Turkish): HAMIT KUK, Chief adviser to the president of the Turkish Travel Agencies Association
5. various of tourists

STORYLINE:

Türkiye's domestic tourism experienced a notable resurgence in June, surpassing the expectations of industry insiders.
   
Officials from the Turkish Travel Agencies Association (TURSAB) have reported a strong start to the summer season, attributing the surge to the closure of schools on June 15 and the extended Eid al-Adha holiday from June 15 to 23.
   
SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): HAMIT KUK, Chief adviser to the president of the Turkish Travel Agencies Association
"Our expectations from the international market for the summer season are already high, but the domestic tourism activities surprised us significantly.
About one million vehicles entered the city during this period, an extraordinary number for Antalya."

Kuk noted that the occupancy rate was 100 percent along the entire Mediterranean coast and the Aegean coast, which was very promising for the sector to catch its ambitious target to host 60 million tourists and generate 60 billion U.S. dollars in revenue for the year.
   
Antalya province, known for its sunny beaches on the Mediterranean coast, saw a particularly high influx, with over 4 million visitors during the Eid holiday period alone.
   
Riza Percin, chairman of the TURSAB Mediterranean Regional Representative Board, told reporters on Sunday that Antalya Airport broke the record twice last week for daily arrivals.

"Compared to previous years, it was notably bustling. These were the most vibrant tourism days we've seen in the past decade," Percin stated.   

Bodrum, one of Türkiye's most sought-after tourist destinations on the Aegean coast, also experienced a significant influx last week, recording 1 million visitors, according to the TURSAB.

In Istanbul, Türkiye's cultural and financial hub, museums and historical sites were filled with visitors, attracting 245,980 people during the Eid holiday, according to the National Palaces Directorate.
   
Kuk expressed satisfaction with the resilience of Türkiye's tourism sector amidst a challenging economic climate marked by high inflation rates which hit 75.45 percent in May.
   
SOUNDBITE 2 (Turkish): HAMIT KUK, Chief adviser to the president of the Turkish Travel Agencies Association
"To tell the truth, in a country facing such a high economic crisis, if people can still go on vacation, it's quite gratifying for us as tourism professionals. From this perspective, I can evaluate it positively."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Istanbul, Türkiye.
(XHTV)