TOURISM IN TURKEY

'Tourism in Turkey' is focused largely on a variety of archaeological and historical sites, and on seaside resorts along its Aegean and Mediterranean coasts. In the recent years, Turkey is also becoming a popular destination for the SPA and health care tourism.
Turkey's largest city, Istanbul, has a number of major attractions derived from its huge historical status as capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. These include the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (the "Blue Mosque"), the Hagia Sophia, the Topkapı Palace, the Basilica Cistern, the Dolmabahce Palace, the Galata Tower, the Grand Bazaar, and the Pera Palas. Istanbul has also recently became one of the biggest shopping centers of European region by hosting malls and shopping centers like Metrocity, Akmerkez and Cevahir Mall (which is the biggest mall in Europe and second largest shopping center in the world).
Major cultural and historical attractions elsewhere in the country include the sites of Ephesus, Troy, Pergamon, House of Virgin Mary, Pamukkale, Hierapolis, Konya (where the poet Rumi had spent most of his life), Didyma, Church of Antioch, religious places in Mardin (such as Deyrülzafarân Monastery), and the ruined cities and landscapes of Cappadocia. (see List of Archaeological Sites Sorted by Country-Turkey)
Beach vacations, particularly for Turkish city-dwellers and visitors from Western Europe, are also central to the Turkish tourism industry. Most beach resorts are located along the southwestern and southern Aegean coast, especially along the Mediterranean coast near Antalya. Antalya is also accepted as the tourism capital of Turkey. Major resort towns include Bodrum, Fethiye, Marmaris, Kuşadası, Cesme, Didim and Alanya.
Foreign tourist arrivals increased substantially in Turkey between 2002 and 2005, from 12.8 million to 21.2 million, which made Turkey a top-10 destination in the world for foreign visitors. 2005 revenues are US$17.5 billion which also made Turkey the top-10 biggest revenue owners in the world.

★ Year - Arrivals (in millions)

1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
9,750,000	7,460,000	8,000,000	10,400,000	12,800,000	13,300,000	16,800,000	21,200,000	19,800,000[1]

Contents

See also

External links

See also

★ Turkish Riviera

★ Culture of Turkey

★ Istanbul

★ İzmir

★ Antalya

★ Marmaris

★ Fethiye

★ Oludeniz

★ Kemer

★ Bodrum

★ Kuşadası

★ Alanya

External links

★ Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism

★ Turkey Destination Guide

★ Turkey Tourism Help Portal

★ Turkey travel stories of travellers