The Mediterranean resort of Antalya in Turkey claims to have grown its January tourist numbers by over 30 per cent in 2010 compared to the same month in 2009. This claim is based on the number of tourists arriving at Antalya airport during the month.

Turkey is one of only a handful of places that seems to be capable of bucking the general recession that many holiday resorts have had to deal with over the past year. The recession and other factors like currency exchange rates have made life challenging for resorts in Spain, France and Italy, yet Turkey has managed to continue its sustained growth. Antalya is a relatively new resort along this coastline and joins places like Bodrum , Marmaris and Dalaman as a great beach resort. The area is still developing with new hotels and golf resorts being planned for the future.

The local authorities have reason to be optimistic as the tourism industry across Turkey as a whole grew by almost 3 per cent in 2009, whereas the general trend was for a 4 per cent reduction. The authorities also claim that each month an average of almost 3 million tourists visited Turkey over an eleven month period in 2009.

One of the attractions of Antalya is that it is not just a beach resort. It also has a wealth of interesting history and culture, a stunning marina area, picturesque streets and boulevards as well as being a great base for exploring other parts of the region. Just 25 miles east of the city are the stunning ruins of the Aspendos Amphitheatre, which is still used as a venue for plays and concerts today.

Flythomascook.com offers flights to Antalya all year round.