The number of foreign tourists arriving in Türkiye jumped almost 23% year-over-year in February, according to official data released on Friday.
The arrivals reached nearly 2.3 million, compared to the 1.87 million recorded in February of last year, the Culture and Tourism Ministry data showed.
The figure lifted the January-February arrivals by 12% year-over-year to 4.34 million, the ministry said.
The foreign exchange it brings makes tourism income vital to Türkiye, which is keen to flip current account deficits to a surplus, prioritizing exports, production and investments while curbing rising inflation.
Foreign arrivals hit a record 49.2 million in 2023, up from 44.6 million tourists who arrived in 2022, driven by visitors from Russia and Europe, mainly Germany and the United Kingdom.
The influx from Russia stems mainly from flight restrictions imposed by Western nations over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Tourism income climbed to an all-time high of…