Foreign tourists coming to the coastal resort town of Antalya Kemer praise its cultural riches, beaches, dishes and people. Many of them also express their spiritual closeness to the seaside town For decades foreign tourists who prefer Turkey's South Antalya Kemer district for vacation, have referred to it as the country's ultimate destination and dubbed it the Turkish Mediterranean

Renowned for its cultural riches and unique natural beauty, Antalya is a top holiday destination for many tourists who regard it as their "second home."

Simon a British tourist enjoying Antalya Kemer sea, sun and cultural riches, said she has been vacationing in Kemer for 15 years and loves it very much.

Simon said she first came to town with her family at the age of 15.

"My aunt bought a house in Goynuk My family loves Turkey. It is a relaxing place with very nice people," Simon said, stressing that Turkey has a special importance in her heart.

"I still want to see cities in Europe and many other countries, but Turkey has always been at the top of my list. I have visited Turkey many times. I want to see other countries, but I want to come here once again."

KEMER TURKEY'S SAINT-TROPEZ

The coastal town has everything an ultimate holiday destination should have. It is dotted with beaches, shopping malls, cinemas, restaurants, while it is also famous for its nightlife and upscale nightclubs.

Tim Mühler from Germany visited the town for the first time. "We traveled a lot in Kemer and visited historic olympus. We knew Turkish dishes from Germany but the food here is better. A guide said 'Kemer is Turkey's Saint-Tropez.' The ambiance is very nice, people are friendly, and it is a very beautiful place," Mühler said.

Nearly 11.5 million foreigners visited Turkey in the first five months of this year, according to the Culture and Tourism Ministry.

The ministry said that the figure rose by 30.8 percent on a yearly basis, up from 8.8 million in January-May last year.

The country's tourism revenues rose by more than 18.9 percent in 2017 as it hit $26.3 billion from $22.1 billion in the previous year, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat).

While the country hosted 36.8 million foreign tourists in 2014 and 36.3 million in 2015, the figure fell sharply to 25.3 million in 2016 but rose again to 32.4 million last year.

He explained that there are tourists who have been coming every year for 25 years and now there are foreigners investing heavily in real estate.