Foreign tourist arrivals in Turkey bounce back in April

ANKARA-Anadolu Agency

Turkey saw a significant recovery in foreign tourist arrivals on an annual basis in April following a gloomy period amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to official data released on May 24.

The country attracted 790,687 foreign visitors this April, which skyrocketed by 3,162 percent from the same month of last year, Turkey's Culture and Tourism Ministry said.

With the widespread introduction of travel restrictions and the closure of airports and national borders, Turkey's tourism activities nearly grounded to a halt in April 2020.

However, the figure did not overtake the pre-pandemic level of April 2019.

Last month, Istanbul, Turkey's largest city by population, was the top draw for foreign visitors with a 53 percent share, attracting 419,686 foreigners.

It was followed by the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya and Edirne in northwestern Turkey, which borders both Bulgaria and Greece.

Ministry data showed that the country welcomed 3.5 million visitors, including Turkish citizens living abroad.