Demand for Turkey is “storming away”, according to Jet2holidays’ head of trade.
Alan Cross said sales to Antalya for summer 2019 had been so strong, on some weeks it has been the operator’s second most popular destination after Spain.
Jet2holidays added Izmir to its 2019 Turkey programme last month. It already operates to Dalaman, Bodrum and Antalya.
“Spain is our number one destination,” Cross said. “It alternates between Benidorm, Majorca and Tenerife every week but for the last five or six weeks Antalya and Bodrum have been moving up and Antalya has been number two on some occasions.
“Turkey is storming away.”
Jet2holidays announced this week it would hold its fourth annual agent conference in Antalya in November.
It will take place at the Gloria Golf Resort, which Cross said had been a “very good seller” for the operator in the last four years.
“When we were choosing a resort we went out and saw four properties but Gloria Golf stood out, not only for the hotel itself but for its facilities.
“We also knew this was a company and a team we could work well with.”
The hotel said Jet2holidays was its biggest client in the UK, taking over from Cook.
The four-day conference will take place from November 26-29.
Cross said there would be a guest appearance from a celebrity. He would not reveal who but hinted: “He’s male and a former musician who has evolved into a reality TV star.”