Number of tourists Turkey increases

The number of tourists visiting Turkey this year totaled 12.72 million people in the first six months of this year. Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry data shows that Turkey received 3.88 million tourists in June this year -- a 2.7 percent increase compared to the same month last year. In the category of countries sending the highest number of tourists to Turkey, Germany ranks the first with a share of 15.12 percent and 1.92 million people, with the second and third ranks occupied by Russia with 11.24 percent and 1.49 million tourists and Britain with 7.04 percent and 895,358 tourists. Britain was followed by Bulgaria, Georgia, Iran, the Netherlands, France, the US and Greece. The number of foreign tourists visiting Turkey climbed to 31.46 million with an increase by 9.86 percent in 2011, compared to 2010.