Turkey's Popularity as a Destination Seen in Strong Growth in Visitor Arrivals
The Number of Foreign Visitors Increased by Almost 6% for 2010, 11% in September
New York, NY - November 30, 2010 - Despite lingering global economic uncertainties, Turkey's ongoing popularity as a tourism destination continues to strengthen, with strong growth among international arrivals, according to officials at the Turkish Culture and Tourist Office in New York.
In September, the number of arriving foreigners grew at a rate of 11.17 percent over the same period in 2009. Year-to-date, foreign arrivals show a 5.98 percent increase with 23 million visitors over last year. The Mediterranean appeal of Antalya and the cosmopolitan and cultural excitement of Istanbul helped rank these two destinations as the top two choices for international visitors.
Arrivals from the US, which represent 2.45 percent of Turkey's total foreign visitors in 2009 and 2.26 in 2010, registered a 2.69 percent increase in September while European visitors, accounting for 53 percent of total international guests, increased by 5.72 percent.
“It is clear from these numbers that Turkey, with its extraordinary variety and diversity of visitor attractions, continues to have strong appeal for travelers from all parts of the world,” said Nihan Bekar, director of the Turkish Culture and Tourist Office in New York. “In fact, Turkey remains one of the fastest growing tourism destinations in our region. We are particularly pleased that more and more Americans are choosing to visit us and we're confident that they do so not only because of our rich history and cultural traditions, vibrant, modern society, and our outstanding hospitality standards, but because they recognize the exceptional value for money spent that a visit to Turkey represents.”
For more information on Turkey, call 1-877-FOR-TURKEY or contact the Turkish Culture and Tourist Offices in New York at 212-687-2194 or in Washington, D.C., at 202-612-6800, or Los Angeles at 323-937-8066 and visit their Web sites at www.tourismturkey.org or www.goturkey.com .
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