Gunay: "Turkey could attract 30 mln tourists this year"

Unveiling official 2010 predictions for the tourism sector, Culture and Tourism Minister Ertugrul Gunay yesterday said Turkey expects to attract 30 million tourists this year. Speaking to reporters yesterday, Gunay stated that Turkey was the only country to see a rise in tourist numbers last year amid the economic crisis and swine flu fears. "Near the end of 2009 we saw an improvement in the sector, and if this continues, then we expect 30 million tourists to visit Turkey in 2010," he added. Some 16.3 million tourists came to Turkey through the end of the third quarter of 2009. Gunay said his ministry wants to shift Turkey 's tourism profile from scenic tourism to culture tourism, by stressing Turkey 's culture rather that just its natural beauty.