Turkey’s tourism revenue edges up in first quarter

ANKARA - Anadolu Agency

AA Photo

Turkey’s tourism revenues stood at $4.87 billion in the first quarter of the year, improving 1.3 percent from the same period in 2014, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) said in a report on its website April 30.

Turkey welcomed more than 5.3 million visitors in the first quarter of this year, an increase of 5.5 percent from the same quarter in 2014.

Income from tourism has been a valuable source of foreign currency for the country, as a large current account deficit makes the economy vulnerable to external shocks.

Foreign visitors spent on average $884 per capita, while it was $994 per capita among Turkish citizens living abroad who visited the country.  

Turkey ranked sixth among the world’s top destinations in terms of tourist numbers in 2013, according to the World Tourism Organization.