Best things about visiting Turkey - including the weather, culture, and food

16 August 2023 , 11:23

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Turkey is the fastest-growing holiday destination of the last five years (Image: SWNS)

Holidaymakers have revealed some of the best things about travelling to Turkey – as the country emerged as the fastest-growing holiday destination of the last five years.

Those who have visited Turkey say one of the top appeals of the country is its climate and weather, with year-round sunshine and natural beauty making it a popular spot for families and couples.

Meanwhile, over half of tourists (53%) feel it offers some of the best history and culture in the world – from the Roman mosaics (17%) and ancient city of Ephesus (20%), to a traditional Turkish bath, or hammam (12%).

Food is another top draw when visiting Turkey, with Turkish Delight (21%), baklava (21%), and homemade Turkish doner kebabs (20%) topping the list of favourite delicacies, while one in ten love sipping on a strong Turkish coffee.

And 44% of those who have travelled to Turkey claim it has some of the world's best beaches – although 63% appreciate that it has more to offer than just its glorious beaches.

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Turkey's weather and climate is one of the top appeals for visiting the country (SWNS)

The poll of 2,000 adults was commissioned by tour operator, Jet2holidays, which revealed that flight programmes to Turkey have increased by 200% since 2018.

This growth has been driven by demand resulting in an upsurge in flying frequency, longer seasons, and the launch of holidays to a new Turkish destination, Izmir, in 2019, according to Jet2holidays.

And in a boost to its rich culture and history, the country also made the move last year to change its international recognised official name in English to Türkiye.

A spokesman for Jet2holidays, said: “We are delighted to be celebrating five years of continuous growth in Turkey, having increased our capacity to the destination by 200% since 2018, in response to demand.

“As it is our biggest growing destination of the last five years, we wanted to see what was driving the destination’s appeal and popularity with holidaymakers.

“It’s no surprise that the weather and climate, history and culture, food and drink, beaches, and great product at affordable prices, have emerged as the top reasons why holidaymakers choose to visit Turkey, with it remaining one of the most popular holiday destinations.”

More than a quarter (26%) of those polled first decided to visit Turkey thanks to word of mouth, while 21% were attracted by the affordable price.

And after seeing the country for themselves, 51% said it greatly appealed as a holiday destination as it offers lots of different experiences.

However, it also emerged that despite being self-confessed Turkey fans, only 44% were able to accurately name its capital city as Ankara, according to the OnePoll.com figures.

TOP FIVE BEST THINGS ABOUT TURKEY:

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1. Weather and climate
2. History and culture
3. Great products at affordable prices
4. Turkish food
5. Beaches

TOP FIVE BEST TURKISH ATTRACTIONS:

1. Enjoying Turkish cuisine
2. Visiting the ancient city of Ephesus
3. Visiting the Roman mosaics
4. Visiting the traditional spice bazaars
5. Enjoying a traditional Turkish bath/hammam

TOP FIVE TURKISH TREATS:

1. Baklava
2. Turkish Delight
3. Turkish doner kebab
4. Sis Kebab (Shish Kebab)
5. Kofte (meatballs)

Martin Winter