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Antalya, best known internationally for its Mediterranean coastline, beaches and historic sites, is also being used as a major winter training base for football clubs.
During the winter period, more than 1,500 teams from Türkiye and abroad held training camps in the province, according to remarks shared with Anadolu Agency (AA) by the head of the Turkish Sports Tourism Association.
Antalya attracts teams thanks to its mild winter climate, easy travel access, and hotel infrastructure built around full-service, five-star resorts. These advantages have made it a go-to training camp hub, particularly during the mid-season break, when leagues pause and clubs focus on preparation and friendly matches.
Teams arriving for camps included men’s and women’s sides from nearly 20 countries, with Germany, Russia, and Ukraine highlighted among the main sources.
Nida Kiraz, head of the Turkish Sports Tourism Association, described winter as one of the busiest periods for sports tourism, calling it the “high season” for football-related travel. Kiraz said demand rose this year, and linked the increase to longer mid-season breaks in Türkiye’s top divisions, which gave clubs more time to plan extended camps.
Kiraz underlined the significance of German teams returning after recent seasons in which Antalya could not secure bookings from the German market, saying: “In recent years, we could not get reservations from the Germany destination, but this year teams came. We are having a good season.”
Kiraz added that more than 1,500 teams have camped in Antalya, and stressed that the presence of German clubs matters for Antalya’s sports tourism image.
Beyond Germany, Kiraz pointed to teams coming from Kosovo, Albania, Serbia, Hungary, Poland, and Bulgaria. Kiraz also described Russia and nearby countries as a “must-have” source market for Antalya, noting that teams from that region often complete a large share of their season preparation in Antalya, which helps keep local sports facilities highly occupied.
Kiraz also said that despite the war, Ukraine-based Shakhtar Donetsk is among the well-known clubs choosing Antalya, and added that teams from Turkic republics are also being hosted in the province.
Kiraz said work is underway to bring leading global clubs to Antalya, including efforts to draw teams from Germany’s Bundesliga, the country’s top professional league. Kiraz said Antalya needs coordinated activity to pull in more prestigious sides, and that a tournament concept is being discussed through cooperation among public bodies, the private sector, and civil society groups.
Kiraz said Antalya faces strong competition from Spain, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, and argued that the goal should be to “make Antalya attractive again as a destination where good teams camp.”
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