Turkey emerged as the sixth most visited country in 2013

Turkey emerged as the sixth most visited country last year with more than 12 million visitors coming to the southernmost city Antalya in Turkey. According to the UNWTO tourism figures,

more than fifty two million people traveled in 2013 when compared to 2012. The international travel and tourism market saw a huge surge last year with France emerging as the leader in terms of international arrivals. United States, Spain, China and Italy follow the list in the second, third, fourth and fifth place respectively.

The Turkish government invested more than 13 billion Turkish Liras to promote the travel and tourism sector of the country in the last 11 years. 3 million Russians and 2 million Germans visited Antalya, a city which saw only 1 million visitors last year.

“2013 was an excellent year for international tourism,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai. “The tourism sector has shown a remarkable capacity to adjust to the changing market conditions, fueling growth and job creation around the world, despite the lingering economic and geopolitical challenges. “Indeed, tourism has been among the few sectors generating positive news for many economies,” he added.