Okaz/Saudi Gazette

ISTANBUL — The number of Saudi tourists to Turkey declined by 33.2% during the first six months of 2019 to reach 122,115 people compared to the same period last year when their number totaled 182,689, according to what was officially announced by the website of the Federation of Hotel Owners in Turkey.

The figures indicate a decline in Saudi tourism in Turkey from the fourth position to the 10th.

The official figures issued by the Turkish government showed recently a decline in the number of tourists from Arab countries and other places to Turkey.

This is contrary to what is being circulated and promoted by the Turkish media or Arab media close to Ankara.

The Turkish Statistics Institute in Ankara attributed the 8.5% rise in the number of tourists coming to Turkey during the first three months of the current year compared to the same period last year to the fact that one fifth of this number were not foreign tourists from abroad. They were Turkish nationals who were returning to visit their families in Turkey.

The report by the Turkish Statistics Institute (TUIK) showed that 6.6 million people visited Turkey during Q1 of 2019.

However, 17.8% of these were Turkish citizens living abroad. They returned to visit their families.

This means that the percentage of Turkish citizens living abroad visiting their country is much higher than the total number of tourists who visited the country during the above-mentioned period.