Turkey expects to double tourist visitors in 2021

The number of tourists visiting Turkey this year will double compared with 2020, a senior government official said on Wednesday.

The country expects to host 34 million people this year, said Deputy Tourism Minister Nadir Alpaslan, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency.

Turkey is seeking to attract more visitors to the country to help fund a current account deficit, boost economic growth and to help bolster the value of the lira, which fell to successive record lows in 2020. Around 52 million tourists arrived in 2019, earning the country almost $35 billion.

Measures Turkey has taken to ensure the safety of tourists give the country an edge on its rivals in southern Europe, Alpaslan said.

Turkey has announced plans to vaccinate tourism workers against COVID-19 ahead of the main holiday season. It has also set up testing facilities at major airports and introduced strict safety protocols for hoteliers.