Turkish tourism is on its way to recovery. In the first 10 months of 2017, Turkey was visited by 29 million foreign tourists. This is 28% more than in the same period last year.
According to the Minister of Culture and Tourism of the country, the number will increase to more than 31 million by the end of the year. Moreover, revenues from the sector will exceed $26 billion by the end of 2017.
The tourist flow grew primarily due to Russians. From January to October more than 4.5 million of them arrived in the country. They were followed by Germans (3.3 million), Iranians (2.1 million), Georgians (2 million) and UK visitors with 1.5 million arrivals. A notable number of arrivals also came from Ukraine and Bulgaria.
According to a local portal Hürriyet Daily News, more than 35 million foreign tourists are expected in Turkey in 2018. This is a sign of significant recovery for the country that was severely affected by the diplomatic crisis with Russia, failed coup attempt and numerous terror attacks throughout the last years.