Record number of tourists visit Turkey in 2019

ANKARA

Turkey attracted a record number of visitors with 51.9 million people in 2019, according to official data.

Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) on Jan. 31 announced that the country welcomed 51.9 million visitors last year, a rise of 13.7 percent from the previous year.

TÜİK data showed that 86.2 percent of visitors were foreigners and the remaining 13.8 percent were Turkish citizens residing overseas.

The Culture and Tourism Ministry also announced that foreigner visits to Turkey surged 14.1 percent on an annual basis, surpassing 45 million last year.

Istanbul, the country's world-famous touristic city, was the top arriving destination with nearly 15 million tourists, accounting for 33 percent of all foreign visitors in 2019.

The Mediterranean resort city of Antalya followed it with 14.65 million foreign visitors last year.

The third top arriving destination was the northwestern province of Edirne, which borders both Bulgaria and Greece, welcoming some 4.3 million foreigners.

As for the nationalities of foreign visitors, Russia took first place with 15.6 percent -- some 7 million visitors -- over the same period, followed by Germany (11.2 percent or 5 million) and Bulgaria (6 percent or 2.7 million).

Revenues increase by 17 pct

Turkey's tourism revenues also hit $34.5 billion in 2019, a new record high, according to statistical data.

The figure jumped 17 percent last year, up from $29.5 billion in 2018, TÜİK said.

Meanwhile, the average expenditure per capita stood at $666 in 2019, up from $647 a year ago.

Data showed that visitors spent the most on food and beverages (nearly
$1.1 billion), and accommodation ($1 billion) last year.

"In this year, while foreign visitors came to Turkey mostly for 'travel, entertainment, sportive and cultural activities' with 73.6 percent, Turkish citizens resident abroad visited mostly for 'visiting relatives and friends' with 61.7 percent," it said.