Istanbul breaks 10-year record for tourist arrivals in July

By Hikmet Faruk Baser

ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye’s metropolitan city, Istanbul, welcomed 1.87 million tourists in July, the highest number in a decade.

The number of foreign tourists visiting Istanbul increased by 6% year-on-year in July, according to Istanbul Directorate of Culture and Tourism data.

Some 1.82 million visitors arrived in the city by air and 49,681 by sea.

Russians took first place among foreign tourists visiting Istanbul in July, with 185,636, followed by Germans with 135,568, and Saudis with 105,041.

Tourists from other major countries include the US, Iran, France, UK, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, and the Netherlands.

The Turkish metropolitan was also visited by 9.77 million foreign tourists in the first seven months of 2023, up by 15% on a yearly basis.

One out of every three foreign tourists visiting Türkiye came to Istanbul in the first seven-month period.

*Writing by Gokhan Ergocun in Istanbul