A favorite summer destination for tourists will now become a year-round vacation spot for those seeking religious history. The Demre district in the Southern city of Antalya is working on a faith tourism center that would highlight the district’s religious heritage and ancient civilizations.

With ongoing projects to restore and protect historic venues, Alanya's mayor has requested the town be added to the UNESCO World Heritage list. Speaking at a ceremony held for the restoration of the historic Tophane Mosque, Alanya Mayor Hasan Sipahioğlu said the district in the western city of Antalya deserved to be on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Antalya hoteliers have called on Israeli tourists to leave politics aside and said they were always welcome in Turkey.

Gearing up to host Expo 2014, Antalya is compiling an assembly of specialists for the bidding process. Speaking at a meeting at the Antalya Chamber of Commerce and Industry, or ATSO, the city’s governor, Alaaddin Yüksel, said a private institution was required to continue the bidding process more systematically for the exposition based on gardening and botany.