Foreign visits to Turkey climb in January-September

ANKARA-Anadolu Agency

Turkey attracted 36.4 million foreign visitors in the first nine months of 2019, marking a 14.5 percent rise, the Culture and Tourism Ministry announced on Oct. 31.

The Mediterranean resort city of Antalya was the top draw for foreign visitors with a 34.2 percent share, attracting 12.5 million foreigners.

Istanbul, Turkey's largest city by population and a top tourist spot, came in a close second, welcoming 11.3 million foreign visitors from January to September.

The northwestern province of Edirne, which borders both Bulgaria and Greece, followed them with 3.4 million foreigners.

Ministry data showed that the country welcomed 41.6 million visitors, including Turkish citizens living abroad, up 12.2 percent during the same period.