Antalya in Turkey has been identified as a good destination for investors looking for a stable place to buy property during the global economic downturn.

According to Hurriyet .com reports, Faruk Sayin, a member of the acting board of Antalya Chamber of Commerce and Industry stated that thousands of properties are ready to be bought in the region. He noted that the sustained interest in buying Antalya property has been attributed to the low cost of housing in the region as economic downturn resulted in drop in house prices to a 25 to 30 per cent drop in home prices in Anatolia.

Mr Sayin commented: "The decrease in prices and the rising exchange rate make our country attractive for foreigners to buy real estate." The official asserted that with the correct promotion, foreigners are likely to buy large amounts of real estate in Turkey.
Adam Samuel, a director at overseas property portal Nubricks, explained that the country is much cheaper than most countries in the south-east of Europe, something that may entice people to invest in Antalya property.

Another attraction is the future; he suggested that is the potential accession to the EU, so many people are thinking that when that does happen prices will start [rising] and that's where they will see their gains. Turkish property buyers may be keen to take advantage of low prices and the possibility of gains if the country joins the EU in the next few years.

This presents a rare opportunity to buy property in Antalya at the prices found in an immature market, but in a country set to see the levels of foreign direct investment and visitors you generally find in an immature market. Such factors may have helped contribute to the popularity of Turkey with overseas investors.

Labels: Antalya, Market-Trends, Property-buyers

Among the winter sun destinations, Easyjet began operating a thrice-weekly service between London Gatwick and Dalaman, a town located on the south-west coast of Turkey. The airlines estimate that more than 60,000 passengers will visit Dalaman this year, and so popular is the route expected to be that it has already been announced that the flight frequency between these two destinations will increase to five times a week as of 1st May.

Easyjet said in a statement that GB Airways will continue to operate all routes under the British Airways brand until 29 March and As many as 21 new destinations are available from low-cost airline Easyjet thanks to the company's takeover of GB Airways. The current credit crisis has not stopped Brits booking their annual summer holidays for 2009 however due to the British pound dropping in value against the Euro; they are looking for Non-Euro alternatives like Turkey, where they get more value for their money.

Furthermore, according to the World Tourism Organization, Turkey has one of the best performing, not to mention lucrative, tourism industries in the world, with over 27 million tourists from all around the world expected to visit the country this year.

Property experts believe that this new flight route will serve to further increase the numbers of property buyers and tourists heading to Turkey. Dominic Whiting, editor of the Buying in Turkey guide has said that the long-anticipated arrival of no-thrills flights to the Turkish coast is big news. He commented "Improving access from the UK should have a very positive effect on tourism and the property market in Dalaman and other nearby resorts in Turkey - with a recent Europe-wide study by Savills finding an average price premium of 37% for property in an area served by a budget airline."

Dalaman's beautiful countryside, cotton fields, fragrant orange groves, and some fascinating ancient sites make it a popular tourist destination. As the area develops with holiday villages in Sarıgerme and the new golf courses in the near vicinity Dalaman is set to become the destination of choice for many tourists with plans to turn this area into a golfers paradise. Dalaman town is growing quickly as a result of the investment in the area -the real estate market has increased the number of properties available for sale/rent.

In related news, Edinburgh airport has already had extra flights to Turkey scheduled by certain travel companies and other airports are expected to announce the same.

Labels: Dalaman, Property-buyers, Travel

The Turkish city of Istanbul is one of the best places to invest in property in spite of high prices, it has been reported.

Described as being on its way to becoming "one of the most important cultural centers in Europe", Istanbul is Turkey's largest city and is the only metropolis in the world which is situated on two continents. Ozgul Ozkan Yavuz, director of events and organisations for Istanbul 2010, has said that the European Capital of Culture status will be valuable in creating more interest in property in the city much like Liverpool and London. He added that Istanbul can offer something for everyone from luxury and glamour parts to cheaper properties.

Foreign Property Buyer highlighted the Turkish city offered a number of attributes to tourists and property investors, such as culture and a good transport infrastructure. Istanbul's accessibility from the UK and other European countries was cited as another factor in its favor, as it is serviced by many low-cost airlines.

This comes after the news that city mayor Kadir Topbas said the city is ideal for foreign buyers and authorities are working to eliminate bureaucratic hindrances to the property-buying process in order to make purchases quicker and simpler.

Labels: Istanbul, Property-buyers

Humberside Airport Travel figures reveal that many people from Humberside last-minute holiday bookings in order to escape from last year's wet summer. Their reports confirm that nearly 92 per cent of its bookings were made at the last minute.

The travel agency further said that Turkey was the most popular destination for followed by Cyprus. Turkish Airlines reported that a total of eight million people flew with the carrier till September of 2007 which is 19.4 per cent higher than the figures recorded 12 months earlier.

Rob Goldsmith, managing director of Humberside Airport, said that the last year summer saw increase in the number of visitors and he expected that the trend will continue. Property experts pointed out a link between the wet summer and an increased number of people purchasing property abroad. Currency specialist HiFX explained the surge of interest in buying abroad is mainly due to people wanting to live in a better climate.

Turkey is increasingly becoming popular because it offers overseas property investors the ideal place to buy a home in the sun as it has good weather all round the year. Michael Harrop, MD of New Turkish Properties has commented that glorious weather is pulling in crowds of takers when it comes to property in Turkey.

Labels: British, Property-buyers, Travel