Recently, there has been a serious problem in Antalya, Turkiye, with aggressive sellers harassing tourists.
Hürriyet Daily News reported that Antalya, a popular tourist city in Turkey, is struggling with aggressive selling and begging targeting tourists.
Aggressive sellers surround tourists, forcing purchases or even stuffing goods into their bags without consent and demanding payment. In particular, it’s nearly impossible to walk through Donerciler Bazaar due to some merchants who block pedestrians and solicit aggressively.
Moreover, beggars follow tourists, begging for money and verbally abusing them if they refuse. Many tourists and local merchants have expressed their dissatisfaction with this situation.
The president of the Antalya Guide Association pointed out that these issues negatively impact the city’s image and the quality of tourism. He mentioned that he sometimes deliberately guides tourists along different routes to avoid aggressive salespeople. Local merchants have also called for strong measures, saying that these activities harm the merchants who are doing their jobs properly.
Can Zoroğlu, Director of Antalya Tourism, stated, “After receiving recent complaints, we have contacted relevant departments and are carefully reviewing future procedures.”
The recent rise in such unethical behavior seems to be due to the increase in tourists visiting Antalya.
Azer News reported that Antalya, Turkey, set a new tourism record this year. According to the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, more than 2.7 million foreign tourists visited by April. This is an increase of 14.10% compared to last year and the highest number of visitors in Antalya’s history.
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