Hotelier chief says Russian visitor numbers around 5M

By Sinan Ozmus

ANTALYA, Turkey (AA) - The number of Russian tourists travelling to the Mediterranean resort of Antalya will reach nearly 4 million by the end of this year, a tourism association said on Tuesday.

The number of Russian visitors in Turkey generally will be around five million at the end of the year, the Mediterranean Touristic Hoteliers’ Association told Anadolu Agency.

The figures reveal a stronger tourism season this year compared to 2016 said Erkan Yagci, chairman of the body’s executive board.

He stated Antalya's tourism growth was up 60 percent compared to 2016.

The region’s best years in tourism -- 12 million visitors in the 2014-2015 season -- were almost matched by 2017’s performance, and could be exceeded by the end of the year.

Yagci said concerns continued in the European market but severe declines at the beginning of the year had normalized by the end of the season.

"We have been experiencing a decline in the German market for the last two years and we expect to grow from 2018 in this market," he said, adding: "Germany has had an important role in the development of Turkey's tourism in the last 20-25 years."