Mideast in Pictures: Türkiye’s Antalya sees boom in inbound tourism

This aerial photo taken on Aug. 13, 2023 shows the view of a beach in Antalya, Türkiye. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)

ANKARA, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) — Antalya, a major tourist destination on Türkiye’s southern Mediterranean coast, has seen a boom in inbound tourism this year.

More than 7 million foreign tourists arrived in Antalya by air as of July 18, marking a 24 percent increase from the same period last year, according to data from local culture and tourism authorities.

Antalya is keen on attracting more tourists throughout the whole year by offering new alternatives such as sports tourism and cultural tourism.

Tourism is a major economic driver for Türkiye, contributing about 10 percent of the country’s GDP and employing about 1.7 million people.

This aerial photo taken on Aug. 13, 2023 shows the view of a beach in Antalya, Türkiye. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)

This aerial photo taken on Aug. 13, 2023 shows foreign tourists enjoying their leisure time in Antalya, Türkiye. (Photo by Mustafa Kaya/Xinhua)■