Turkey draws nearly 25 million foreign visitors in 7 months

Turkey welcomed 24.69 million foreign visitors in the first seven months of this year, according to the latest data from the Culture and Tourism Ministry.

The number of foreigners visiting the country rose 14.1 percent between January and July, compared to the same period the previous year, according to data released on Thursday.

The historic metropolis of Istanbul remained Turkey’s top tourist draw, attracting 34.2 percent of all visitors, around 8.4 million.

The Mediterranean resort city of Antalya followed with 31.8 percent or over 7.85 million foreign visitors in the same period.

Edirne, in northwestern Turkey, which borders both Bulgaria and Greece, received the third-highest number of foreigners, with 2.5 million during the first seven months.