Prof. Dr. Bertan stated that the number of visitors to the Pamukkale Hierapolis Ancient City Site and the number of arrivals at accommodation facilities followed similar trends between 2006 and 2012, but that the gap between the two widened after 2013, with the exception of 2016. While visitor numbers at the Pamukkale Hierapolis Ancient City Site reached a record high in 2019, accommodation figures remained below the 2012 peak. Since 2023, however, the number of arrivals at accommodation facilities has increased every year. Prof. Dr. Bertan said: “A significant proportion of visitors to the Pamukkale Hierapolis Ancient City Site do not stay overnight in Denizli. Implementing the action plans included in the Denizli Tourism Roadmap (2026–2030) is of great importance in encouraging visitors to stay in the city and increasing the average length of stay.” Drawing attention to changes in the length of stay of foreign and domestic tourists at accommodation facilities over different periods, Prof. Dr. Bertan added: “Foreign tourists accounted for a larger share of stays between 2006 and 2014 and in 2018–2019; domestic tourists predominated between 2015 and 2017 and in 2020–2021; and foreign tourists have accounted for the larger share of stays since 2022.”

Tourism Activity Peaks in September and October

According to Prof. Dr. Bertan, tourism activity in Denizli is concentrated in September and October. The share of arrivals at accommodation facilities during September and October in the annual total was 21.3% in 2023, rising to 21.4% in 2024 and 23.9% in 2025. By contrast, the share of the January–March period declined from 21.7% to 19.0% and then to 12.2% over the same period. October was the busiest month in all three years: in 2025, 12.8% of all annual guest arrivals and 15.6% of foreign guest arrivals took place in October.

Source: Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 2026.

Emphasising that foreign and domestic tourists tend to visit during different months, Prof. Dr. Bertan noted that foreign tourists mainly arrive in April–May and September–October. The proportion of foreign tourists among arrivals at accommodation facilities in October was 70.2% in 2023, 71.4% in 2024 and 65.8% in 2025, while the corresponding figures for domestic tourists were 29.8%, 28.6% and 34.2%. The pattern is reversed during the December–January–February period: in these months, the proportion of foreign tourists ranges from 29% to 50%, while domestic tourists account for 50% to 71%. Domestic tourists are most prominent in December, January, February and July.

The Number of Arrivals at Accommodation Facilities Increased, but the Average Length of Stay Declined

Stating that the average length of stay had increased over the long term but declined in recent years, Prof. Dr. Bertan reported that the average length of stay was 1.21 nights in the 2006–2015 period, 1.41 nights in 2016–2019 and 1.56 nights in 2022–2025. Following its peak of 1.66 nights in 2021, the average length of stay declined every year, reaching 1.47 nights in 2025. The average stay of foreign tourists fell from 1.47 nights in 2024 to 1.28 nights in 2025, representing a decrease of 12.9%. The average stay of domestic tourists declined from 1.72 to 1.68 nights, a decrease of 2.3%. In 2025, the average length of stay during April–October fell to between 1.39 and 1.49 nights, below the 1.51–1.61-night levels recorded in the previous two years. The longest stays were recorded during the winter months: 1.72 nights in January, 1.66 in February and 1.65 in March.

Source: Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 2026.

Prof. Dr. Bertan stated that the province-wide occupancy rate peaked in 2019 and declined by 10.5 percentage points, from 47.9% to 37.4%, in 2025. While occupancy rates exceeded 50% in six months of 2024, they did not surpass 50% in any month of 2025 and remained below 2024 levels in every month except January. Of the 38.0% occupancy rate recorded in 2025, 52.8% was attributable to domestic tourists and 47.2% to foreign tourists. Among the districts, only Çivril recorded an increase in occupancy, rising from 30.1% to 31.4%. The sharpest declines were observed in Çameli (19.4 percentage points), Bekilli (13.0 percentage points), Merkezefendi (11.2 percentage points), Tavas (10.6 percentage points), Acıpayam (9.7 percentage points) and Pamukkale (9.5 percentage points).

Bed Capacity Grew by 11.4% in Three Years

Addressing capacity figures, Prof. Dr. Bertan stated that the total number of beds increased by 1.8% in 2023, 4.8% in 2024 and 4.4% in 2025, representing an overall growth of 11.4% during the 2022–2025 period.

Source: Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 2026.

Source: Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 2026.

Prof. Dr. Bertan stated: “Five-star facilities, which account for 7.4% of the 163 accommodation facilities in Denizli, provide 33.8% of the total bed capacity. Five-star thermal hotels in Pamukkale alone account for 20.7% of the province's total bed capacity. Other accommodation facilities, which make up 73.6% of all facilities, account for 42.3% of the beds. In Denizli, 83.6% of the total bed capacity is located in accommodation facilities in Pamukkale district.”

87.7% of Tourists Stay in Pamukkale

Drawing attention to the concentration of tourism activity in Pamukkale, Prof. Dr. Bertan added that in 2025, 83.6% of the province's total bed capacity, 87.7% of arrivals at accommodation facilities and 86.3% of overnight stays were recorded in Pamukkale district.

Source: Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 2026.

Of the guests staying at accommodation facilities, 87.7% stay in establishments located in Pamukkale district. In addition, 98.7% of foreign tourist arrivals and 98.2% of foreign overnight stays take place at accommodation facilities in Pamukkale. Together with Merkezefendi, the two districts account for 95.4% of all arrivals at accommodation facilities. Although the other ten districts have 9.2% of the total bed capacity, they accommodate only 4.6% of guests.

In Pamukkale district, 60.7% of guests are foreign tourists and 39.3% are domestic tourists. In all other districts, the proportion of domestic tourists exceeds 91%, while that of foreign tourists remains below 9%. Domestic tourists account for 99.4% of visitors in Tavas (foreign tourists: 0.6%), 99.8% in Çameli (foreign tourists: 0.2%) and 100% in Bekilli. The shortest average stay is recorded in Pamukkale district (1.44 nights; 1.28 for foreign tourists and 1.70 for domestic tourists), while the longest stays are recorded in Honaz (2.40 nights), Tavas (2.09 nights) and Bekilli (2.01 nights). Although foreign tourists arriving at accommodation facilities outside Pamukkale district account for only 1.3% of all foreign tourists, they stay in these districts for 2–3 nights. In 2025, occupancy rates were 39.7% in Merkezefendi and 39.6% in Pamukkale, while they remained at 10.6% in Beyağaç and 12.1% in Çameli.

Concluding his assessment, Prof. Dr. Bertan made the following statement: “The Action Plans Included in the Denizli Tourism Roadmap (2026–2030) are of great importance in increasing occupancy rates and the average length of stay.”