Record number of tourists visit Turkey in 2019

Turkey attracted a record number of visitors with 51.9 million people in 2019, according to official data.

Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) on Jan. 31 announced that the country welcomed 51.9 million visitors last year, a rise of 13.7 percent from the previous year.

TÜİK data showed that 86.2 percent of visitors were foreigners and the remaining 13.8 percent were Turkish citizens residing overseas.

Turkey's tourism revenues also hit $34.5 billion in 2019, a new record high, according to statistical data.

The figure jumped 17 percent last year, up from $29.5 billion in 2018, TÜİK said.

Meanwhile, the average expenditure per capita stood at $666 in 2019, up from $647 a year ago.