The popularity of Turkish cities in the Middle East continues to rise. Turkish Cultural and Tourism Office in Dubai announced that UAE nationals continue to travel to Turkish cities in rising numbers.
According to the latest data, 13,296 Emiratis have visited multiple destinations across Turkey within the first four months of the year. 4,466 UAE nationals traveled to Turkey during the month of April, representing a 34.27% increase when compared April last year.
On the heels of this growth, several non-stop flights from have been launched from Sharjah International Airport to Turkish cities, with Air Arabia flying into Antalya and Trabzon, and Turkish Airlines flying between the emirate and Istanbul. Meanwhile, a total of 110 flights now depart from the UAE’s airports for several destinations across Turkey each week.
“We are delighted to see Turkey climb to one of the most popular tourist destinations for Emiratis as well as other Gulf nationals. Visitors from neighboring nations have always played a significant role in driving economic growth within Turkey by boosting its tourism sector,” commented Salih Ozer, Attaché of Culture and Information, Turkey to the UAE.
Over 8,735,200 tourists from around the world flew into Turkey in April, representing a 24% increase in comparison to April last year. The largest influx of tourists into Turkey in the first four months of 2019 has been from Germany at just over 803,480 visitors, followed by Bulgaria and Russia.
Turkey’s Mediterranean province of Antalya also recently broke its record for the number of tourists arriving by air on a single day — 85,205 visitors flew into the city on June 8, 2019. Inbound tourist traffic per month also rose by 17% in June with 570,422 visitors to the city. So far, 3,870,211 tourists have visited Antalya this year with an 18% increase when compared to the same period last year.
The attaché added, “Turkey has a lot to offer tourists, from an adventurous holiday at the shores of the Black Sea to a relaxing vacation on Mediterranean beaches, from historic sites to iconic attractions, to plenty of exclusive shopping. The country’s proximity coupled with relaxed visa formalities makes it the perfect destination for our Arab neighbors. The outlook for the tourism sector is indeed quite positive, and we are hoping to hit record-breaking highs throughout the year.”
