Bursa set to lure more Arab tourists this year

BURSA - Anatolia News Agency

Turkey’s northwestern city of Bursa aims to attract 500,000 Arab tourists in 2012.

Last year 800,000 tourists visited Bursa, and 300,000 of them were Arabs, said Mehmet Akkuş, chairman of the South Marmara region of the Association of Turkish Travel Agents (TÜRSAB) in an interview with the Anatolia news agency.

Akkuş said the organization aims to make Bursa the tourism capital of the Middle East in 2013.
“Bursa will host a Turkish-Arab tourism gathering in April 2012 at which representatives from 22 Arab countries will attend,” he said.

Bursa, with its picturesque old town and magnificent buildings including mosques, is one of the highlights of any visit to Turkey.

The city also enjoys a long-standing reputation for its natural spas. The thermal springs in the northwestern suburb of Çekirge, popular even in Roman times, attract a large numbers of visitors each year with its modern bath and up to date treatment facilities.

Besides, the province blessed with Mount Uludağ, a popular ski resort.