Local tourism grows fastest in med basin

Turkey has the fastest growing tourism industry in the Mediterranean basin, hosting 19.1 million foreign tourists over a period of seven months in 2013, marking a 10.6 percent increase compared to last year’s figures for the same period. According to the data issued by the Union of Mediterranean Tourist Hotels (AKTOB), Spain leads in the ranking of Mediterranean basin countries with 34 million tourists between January and July, a 3.9 percent rise compared to last year. Turkey follows Spain with 19.1 million foreign tourists, achieving a growth of 10.6 percent in the seven-month period. With halted tourist flow following the military coup on July 3, Egypt completed the seven-month period in 2013 with 5.7 percent growth, while it grew by more than 10 percent in the first half of 2013. Another Mediterranean basin country, Greece, has grown by 9.2 percent despite an earlier downturn until May, hosting around 7 million tourists in seven months.