German tourists top arrivals to Turkey

ANKARA - Anadolu Agency

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In a tough year for tourism in Turkey, Germans have topped the list of tourists visiting the country in the first eight months of 2015, according to figures from the Culture and Tourism Ministry.

About 3.75 million German tourists visited Turkey during the period, followed by Russian tourists at 2.78 million, and British tourists at 1.8 million.

In the first eight months of last year, there were 3.5 million Russian tourists arriving in Turkey, but numbers have dropped significantly due to the ongoing economic crisis in Russia.

Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB) Chairman Başaran Ulusoy interpreted the data in an interview with Anadolu Agency.

Ulusoy said the devaluation of the Turkish Lira against the euro gave Turkish tourism an important advantage and would help Turkey compete better in the coming period. 

“We think this trend will continue in the near future. But we should be careful that Turkey does not start presenting an image as a ‘cheap country,’ while still offering affordable vacations,” he added.