MADRID
Turkey was the sixth most popular destination in the world last year and Turkey's southern city Antalya beat all records by attracting 12 million visitors, according to figures from the UN and Turkey's Culture and Tourism office.
Three million Russians and two million Germans visited Antalya, a city of one million last year.
The Turkish government has invested 13 billion Turkish Liras in Antalya over the last 11 years.
“We rebuilt schools, universities, dormitories, sports complexes, roads and houses in Antalya. We will keep on with further projects to promote Antalya as a world brand,” said Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on a visit the city in December last year.
Antalya's main industry is tourism, but agriculture, trade and film industry are also major economic activities, according to the Turkish officials.
Fifty two million more people travelled the world in 2013 when compared to 2012 according to the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), an organisation which monitors trends in international tourism.
France attracted more tourists than any other country in the world while the United States came in second place, with China, Spain and Italy completing the top five most visited countries.
“2013 was an excellent year for international tourism,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai. “The tourism sector has shown a remarkable capacity to adjust to the changing market conditions, fueling growth and job creation around the world, despite the lingering economic and geopolitical challenges.
“Indeed, tourism has been among the few sectors generating positive news for many economies,” he added in a news release.
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