Tourist numbers in Türkiye have fallen sharply, the biggest drop in 22 years.

(Baonghean.vn) - Political instability in Türkiye continues to cause difficulties in other sectors, with the country experiencing a 40% drop in foreign tourists in June, the sharpest decline in 22 years.

The Blue Mosque in Istanbul is a popular tourist attraction in Türkiye. Photo: Reuters.

Türkiye was once considered a bright spot among emerging economies. But after a military coup, strained relations with Russia, and a series of bombings, the Turkish economy has been dealt severe blows.

Tourism is one of the country's pillar industries. According to economists, tourism revenue this year will decrease by a quarter, equivalent to $8 billion, accounting for 1% of the country's GDP, and this decline is expected to continue.

In late June, 45 people were killed in a bombing and shooting at Istanbul airport, an attack that authorities blamed on ISIS. Most recently, a military coup left at least 246 dead when a group of military personnel sought to overthrow the incumbent government of President Erdogan.

Following the coup, many European tourists changed their travel plans for Türkiye to other destinations. Resorts on the Aegean and Mediterranean beaches are very popular tourist spots in Türkiye. Today, even a British travel company, Thomas Cook, has cut its full-year profit target due to the shift in customer sentiment.

According to statistics from the Turkish Ministry of Tourism, the number of tourists in June decreased by 2.44 million, equivalent to 40.86%. This is the largest drop since 1994. The previous record for tourist decline was in May last year, with a figure of 34.7%. This is due to tensions with Moscow following Turkey's downing of a Russian plane. Although Turkey and Russia are working to rebuild relations, the number of tourists from Russia to Turkey still decreased by 87% in the first six months of the year.

Le Army

(According to Reuters)