Turkish Airlines has reported a significant growth in the number of inbound and outbound tourists for Turkey and the GCC. According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in Turkey, the number of visitors among GCC nationals who travelled to Turkey in 2016 increased by 10.5 per cent year-on-year, reaching 822,849 visitors, the biggest increase coming from Saudi Arabia which saw a growth of 18 per cent to reach 530,410 visitors. UAE visitors to Turkey increased by 14 per cent during the same period.
Travel onward to Europe from the Middle East has seen a significant boost this year. Transatlantic destinations of United States of America and Canada continue to be the top choices for travel westward.
Majority of Middle Eastern travellers who chose Turkish Airlines to travel to Turkey and Europe preferred Istanbul, London, Barcelona, Paris, Amsterdam, Bosnia and Herzegovina as their key destinations.
The airline also reported that the top three outbound destinations from Turkey to travel in the GCC region are Jeddah, Dubai and Kuwait reflecting that the GCC market continues to be a popular attraction for many. The number of international and domestic destinations today has reached 299 cities, up from 283 for the same period last year, while the fleet has grown from 306 to 339 in the same period.
