Plenty of sun and affordable prices: the Turkish resort of Antalya attracts more and more tourists

An increase in the number of air routes and new all-inclusive hotels has led to more Britons traveling to Antalya in Turkey, making it more popular than Tenerife in Spain and the Canary Islands. The number of trips to Antalya increased by 33% compared to last year.

According to the annual report of the On the Beach travel company's 'Big Winter Sun Report,' 11.9% of vacationers visited Antalya this winter season. 11.7% of British travelers chose Tenerife, 8% - the Canary Island of Lanzarote, writes the website Mirror.

The Costa Blanca, which includes Benidorm, a favorite of British tourists, took fourth place, and Hurghada in Egypt took fifth. This resort has demonstrated 'incredible' growth: the number of Brits traveling there for winter sunshine has increased by 53% compared to last year.

Zoe Harris, On the Beach's customer service director, said: 'It's finally happened; Turkey has finally overtaken Tenerife as the most popular winter sun destination. In recent years, we have seen a huge increase in the number of holidaymakers visiting Antalya and Dalaman, and now it looks like this shift has finally come to an end.

The increase in flight options to Turkey and Egypt, as well as the emergence of incredible all-inclusive hotel deals, are the reasons why we are seeing this shift, and both locations offer sunshine all year round.'

Despite a challenging year in terms of inflation, energy prices, and potentially lower disposable income, overall winter vacation bookings are up 26% year-on-year, and five-star hotel bookings are up 28% year-on-year.

Turkey is not only a country with a rich history, delicious food, and a beautiful natural landscape that is attracting more and more Brits, but it is also a great place to retire. According to Property Guides, a company that helps people buy homes abroad, it costs £422 per month to be a retiree in this sun-drenched country.

To live the same life in the UK, you'd need to spend £1,652 a month - four times as much, as the UK state pension is currently £203.85 a week. A large part of the reason why living in Turkey can be so much cheaper is the cost of real estate.

The average price per 100 square meters of real estate in Istanbul, the most expensive city in the country, is around £54,000. The crime rate in Turkey is one of the lowest in the world, with only 214 thefts per 100,000 people. This compares to 280 in England and Wales.

Brits moving to Turkey to enjoy the golden years of life in this country are unlikely to feel like fish out of water. After the lifting of travel restrictions due to the pandemic, Turkey has seen a surge in tourists: last year, 2.5 million travelers from the UK went there.

Top 10 destinations for a winter escape

Antalya, Turkey

Tenerife, Spain

Lanzarote, Spain

Costa Blanca, Spain

Hurghada, Egypt

Mallorca, Spain

Costa del Sol, Spain

Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt

Fuerteventura, Spain

Dalaman, Turkey