ISTANBUL

The Russian Tourism Industrialists' Association said the demand from Russian tourists for holidays in Türkiye fell short of expectations in May.

However, Russian visitors are expected to increase, especially after May, the association said. Due to the "attractive" prices in Türkiye, it is expected that the demand for holiday packages will increase in the coming months.

Türkiye attracted some 44.6 million foreign tourists in 2022, a rise of 80.3% from a year earlier. More than 5.2 million Russian tourists visited especially holiday regions such as Antalya, Mugla, and Izmir, the Culture and Tourism Ministry reported.

Türkiye aims to attract 60 million foreign tourists in 2023, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said in January in a press conference.

Separately, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) revealed that Türkiye generated $46.3 billion in tourism income last year. The average expenditure per capita was $901 in 2022.

*Writing by Necva Tastan