Number of tourists increases 19.9% in Turkey

The number of foreign visitors coming to Turkey has increased 19.9 percent in the first two months of this year when compared to the same period of last year. According to a written statement of Mediterranean Touristic Hoteliers' Association (AKTOB), 2 million 373 thousand foreign tourists visited Turkey in January and February of 2013. The statement said that 1 million 979 thousand foreigners had come to Turkey at the same period last year, so that there was a 19.9 percent rise in the number of foreign tourists in the first two months of this year compared to last year. During this period, although the number of tourists from Germany decreased 5 percent, there was an 18 percent rise in number of Russian tourists. ''There has been double-digit growth from some European countries such as Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Denmark, Finland while number of tourists from France, Luxembourg, Hungary and Iran has continued to decline,'' the statement said. Turkish tourism promoted in Azerbaijan Turkish tourism will be promoted in Azerbaijan with an ad campaign that will last three months and cost 530,000 USD. The ad campaign will be organized by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Turkey plans to host 700,000 Azerbaijanis in 2013.