Antalya vs Istanbul
Istanbul leads Antalya by 9 points on the CIRA Index, 56 to 47. Antalya grades better on 5 measures, Istanbul on 10; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.
Scores by each organisation's criteria
- CIRA Index: Antalya 47, Istanbul 56
- OECD: Antalya 46, Istanbul 55
- UN Tourism: Antalya 51, Istanbul 58
- UNDRR: Antalya 47, Istanbul 49
Theme by theme
- Demand and seasonality: Antalya 50, Istanbul 50
- Economy and jobs: Antalya 83, Istanbul 67
- Climate and hazards: Antalya 25, Istanbul 45
- Water and environment: Antalya 50, Istanbul 50
- Community and housing: Antalya 17, Istanbul 58
- Access and continuity: Antalya 54, Istanbul 63
Where Antalya is stronger
- Average length of stay: 3.6 nights per visitor (region figure) (T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı via Türkiye Turizm Veri Atlası, 2025). At or above 3.5: grade 4/4.
- Unemployment rate: 5.7 % of the labour force (region figure) (Eurostat / TurkStat, Unemployment rate by NUTS 2 region (tgs00010 / lfst_r_lfu3rt), 2023). Between 5 and 8: grade 3/4.
- Income per head: 45,288 GDP per capita, USD PPP (country figure) (World Bank WDI, 2025). Between 45,000 and 60,000: grade 3/4.
- Water scarcity: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
- Wastewater safely treated: 85 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (region figure) (T.C. Çevre, Şehircilik ve İklim Değişikliği Bakanlığı, Antalya İl Müdürlüğü - Antalya İli 2024 Yılı Çevre Durum Raporu (TÜİK verisi), 2024). Between 85 and 95: grade 3/4.
Where Istanbul is stronger
- Nights in the three busiest months: 38.3 % of annual nights (country figure) (World Economic Forum, TTDI 2026 (data: UN Tourism by United Nations World Tourism Organization), 2024, 2025 moving average). Between 35 and 40: grade 2/4.
- Domestic share of nights: 24.8 % of nights by residents of the same country (region figure) (T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı / İstanbul İl Kültür ve Turizm Müdürlüğü, Turizm İstatistikleri Raporu (Ağustos 2025), 2024). Between 15 and 25: grade 1/4.
- Largest foreign market: 10.7 % of international arrivals or nights (region figure) (İstanbul İl Kültür ve Turizm Müdürlüğü, Turizm İstatistikleri Raporu, 2024). At or below 15: grade 4/4.
- Extreme heat days: 2.8 days a year at or above 35°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
- Tropical nights: 59.8 nights a year with a minimum at or above 20°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Between 30 and 60: grade 2/4.
- Municipal waste per resident: 425.2 kg per resident per year (metro figure) (İSTAÇ / Waste Management Association (WMA), 'How a city of 20 million people manages waste: Istanbul's experience', 2023). Between 350 and 450: grade 3/4.
- Green space: 27 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (Husqvarna Urban Green Space Index (HUGSI), 2024). Between 20 and 30: grade 2/4.
- Tourism intensity: 2 visitor nights per resident per year (region figure) (İstanbul İl Kültür ve Turizm Müdürlüğü & TÜİK, 2024). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
- Short-let density: 0.6 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (Inside Airbnb (Istanbul overview) and TÜİK (Bina ve Konut Nitelikleri Araştırması), 2024–2025). Between 0.5 and 1: grade 3/4.
- Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (State Airports Authority (DHMİ), TCDD Tasimacilik, Galataport Istanbul, General Directorate of Highways (KGM), 2026). At or above 4: grade 4/4.
Country context (World Economic Forum)
- Turkey: #36 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
- Turkey: #36 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
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