Israelis boost Turkish tourism sector

Tuesday August 5th , 2008

Turkey's tourism sector is being boosted by an influx of holidaymakers from Israel, according to new figures.

Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport revealed that in the first half of 2007, a total of 64 Israeli people arrived in the region, TurkishPress.com reports.

However, the transport hub has observed a significant increase during the same period of 2008, as the number has gone up to 2,222.

A similar trend has been observed among Iranian leisure travellers, as visitor numbers have risen from 194 last year to 1,722 in 2008.

This represents an increase of 3,372 per cent and 788 per cent respectively.

Commenting on this development, the airport said it is a result of greater efforts to promote Turkey in both Israel and Iran.

This comes during a period in which Turkey is attracting a growing number of visitors from the UK.

Travel firms including Lastminute.com have observed a surge in the number of bookings from British tourists this year.