By Durmus Genc and Sabri Kesen

ANKARA

The presidential candidate of Turkey’s main opposition party vowed Monday to bring in 60 million tourists as soon as possible if elected, saying it would generate up to $60 billion in revenue.

In a pre-election speech in the capital, Ankara, Muharrem Ince, the Republican People's Party (CHP) candidate, said the tourism industry is not an entertainment business but a means to attract foreign currency and contribute to economic development.

Around 27 million tourists chose Turkey in 2016, while 26 million tourists visited the country in the first nine months of 2017.

Ince also hailed the power of Turkey’s youth.

Regarding Turkey's young human resources, he said the country had one of Europe’s youngest populations.

“The average age of Turkish citizens is 29, while in Germany, it is 40 and in Sweden, it is 45. If we educate our youngsters, it will make a good project,” he said.