Number of Russian tourists to Antalya sees record in May


Following the normalization of ties with Russia, Mediterranean coasts saw a record increase in Russian tourists.

In May alone, 505,000 Russians visited Antalya and its neighboring areas, corresponding to a 5,000 percent increase compared to last year, an Association of Tour Operators in Russia (ATOR) report published revealed.

The report said: "The record in the number of tourists that visit Turkey in May belongs to Russians."

The official data shows the number of Russians visiting Antalya recorded a 5,315 percent increase," and added that the number signifies that 48 percent of tourists visiting Turkey's Mediterranean coasts in May were Russian citizens.

The association forecasts that 3 million to 3.5 million Russians will visit Turkey this year, but underscores that this number is not sufficient to reach the levels seen in 2013.