Hüseyin Altaş

Some 50 percent of revenues of retailers operating in shopping centers come from foreign tourists, people from the industry said, voicing concern that domestic demand may not remain strong in the period ahead.

Tourism activity has been strong, which supports sales in shopping malls, said Serhan Tınastepe, chair of the Chain Stores' Association (ZMD).

Some 420 shopping malls were visited by 1.2 million people on May 11, when they were reopened after being closed for more than a month voluntarily to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the association of shopping center investors.

The number of visits to Turkey's more than 400 shopping centers is expected to hit 2.4 billion this year, up from 2.3 billion visits in 2018, according to Hüseyin Altaş, the president of the Council of Shopping Centers (AYD).