Russian tourist numbers to Turkey skyrocket in February but arrivals from Europe keep falling

ANKARA

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The number of Russian tourists visiting Turkey soared around 96 percent in February compared to the same month of 2016, although arrivals from Europe continued to decline, official data has shown. 

According to preliminary data released by the Tourism Ministry on March 30, some 39,261 Russians visited Turkey in February.

In 2016, the number of arrivals from Russia into Turkey fell to just 866,256 overall, a 76.2 percent drop from the previous year amid a political crisis between the two countries. 

However, arrivals from Europe to Turkey continued to drop in February 2017, with 453,300 people from the continent visiting – a year-on-year decrease of around 19 percent. 

The number of arrivals from Germany, once Turkey’s top tourism market, saw a 30 percent decrease in the period, falling to 96,775. Arrivals from the United Kingdom also declined to 29,495 in February, with a 20.7 percent drop compared to the same month of 2016.  Arrivals from France also saw a 23 percent year-on-year decrease, while many other western markets similarly posted double digit declines. 

The number of foreign arrivals to Turkey was announced at 1.16 million in February, a year-on-year decrease of around 6.5 percent. 

Turkey saw the largest number of arrivals from Georgia, Iran, Bulgaria, Germany and Iran in February, according to official data. 

In the first two months of the year, a total of 2.2 million foreigners visited Turkey, an 8.1 percent decrease compared to the same period of 2016. In this period, Turkey’s largest markets were Georgia, Iran, Bulgaria, Germany and Azerbaijan, according to ministry data.