Turkey woos UAE tourists as visitors surge by 50 percent

The number of Emirati tourists visiting Turkey has increased by 50 percent between 2012 and 2013, an official statement released by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Monday reported.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which is one of the top three countries that opts for Turkey as its number one destination, contributes to 5 percent of Turkey’s tourism revenue, the statement read.

“The GCC currently contributes 5 percent of Turkey’s tourism revenue, with Kuwait as the highest contributor, followed by the UAE,” Mustafa Ozdemir, cultural and information attaché at the Turkish Consulate General in Dubai said.

“It’s understandable that the GCC and Turkey both have historical and cultural ties and this is evident in the increase of tourists over the last year,” he added.

Emirati tourists, who were more than 50.000 UAE to visit Istanbul, Antalya, Bodrum and Bursa in 2013, choose their holiday country according to its locality, cost and historical richness, the statement added.

Turkey’s tourism industry is due to be discussed during the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) due to take place from 5-8 May at the Dubai International Convention Centre.

Turkey is the sixth most popular tourist destination in the world, with more than 39 million tourists in 2013.