The number of foreign tourists visiting Türkiye reached 5.1 million in May, official data showed on Tuesday, bringing year-to-date arrivals to a new record as the summer season kicks into full swing.
Last month’s arrivals rose 14% from a year ago, the Culture and Tourism Ministry said.
From January through May, the number of tourists soared nearly 12.5% at an annualized pace to 15.8 million, the data showed.
Combined with the arrival of more than 2 million Turkish citizens living abroad, the figure reached almost 17.1 million.
The foreign exchange it brings makes tourism vital to Türkiye, which is keen to flip budget and current account deficits into surpluses. It prioritizes exports, production and…