The first 10 months of 2000 have been good for Turkish tourism, with approximately 9.5 million tourists visiting the country, about 40 percent more than during the corresponding period in 1999, reported the Anatolia news agency.
The upbeat data is in stark contrast to the situation last year, when Turkey’s image as a tourist paradise was tarnished, first by the capture of Abdullah Ocalan, the head Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) guerilla organization, and then by the devastating earthquake of August 17.
Data released by the Turkish tourism ministry show Germans to be the first-ranked nationality in terms of tourists to Turkey, with about 2 million visiting during the first 10 months of the year. Second on the list are citizens of countries from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
The Anatolia new agency interviewed Vural Oger, the chairman of a Turkish travel agency operating in Germany, predicted that about 3 million German tourists will visit Turkey in 2001. — (Albawaba-MEBG)
© 2000 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
