The number of tourists visiting Turkey in the first half of 2018 surged 30 percent year-on-year, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Ersoy said Friday. "Some 16 million foreigners visited our country in the first six months of this year," he said during his visit to the southern holiday resort city of Antalya.

Ersoy said that Antalya recorded the highest number of visitors with more than 6.6 million in that period, adding that the figure exceeded 7 million with July figures. "We have a tourist target of 14 million (for Antalya). We will reach this," Ersoy said. He underlined that if they manage to reap more revenue compared to rising tourism, it will be a success.

Turkey has set a target of 40 million tourists and $32 billion in revenue for 2018.