Turkey’s tourism sector will likely shrink 70% this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the country’s culture and tourism minister said on Thursday.
TOURISM INCOME HAS NARROWED
“It looks like we will end 2020 with slightly over $11 billion in tourism revenues and over 15 million travelers,” Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said in an online session of the 10th International Resort Tourism Congress.
Turkey’s tourism income has narrowed significantly this year as the coronavirus pandemic led to worldwide travel restrictions, border shutdowns, and an overall drop in consumer demand.
According to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), Turkey’s tourism revenue stood at $34.5 billion last year. The country welcomed 51.9 million visitors in 2019, a rise of 13.7% from the previous year, made up of 86.2% foreigners and 13.8% Turkish citizens residing abroad.
The Culture and Tourism Ministry’s data showed that foreigner visits to Turkey increased 14.1% on an annual basis, surpassing 45 million in 2019.
