Number of Chinese tourists to Türkiye up 102.46 pct in Jan.-July

This photo taken on Aug. 2, 2024 shows the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Türkiye. (Xinhua/Liu Lei)

ISTANBUL, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- The number of Chinese visitors to Türkiye reached 230,819 in the first seven months of 2024, up 102.46 percent year-on-year, leading the way in Turkish tourism growth, showed data from the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry.

Overall, Türkiye recorded 29 million foreign visitors during the same period, up 8.27 percent year-on-year, according to the ministry's data released Friday.

Meanwhile, Russia registered the largest number of visitors to the country, totaling 3.6 million, which represents a 3.2-percent year-on-year increase, the data showed.

Germany ranked second with 3.5 million visitors, marking a 9-percent rise, which was followed by Britain with 2.4 million visitors, a notable 18-percent surge, the data showed. Visitors from Iran and Bulgaria were also among the top five.

Istanbul, Türkiye's largest city and a cultural hub, was the most popular destination, attracting 36 percent of the total visitors, showed the data.

Antalya, known for its sunny beaches and ancient sites, came second, drawing 29.3 percent of the visitors, while Edirne, located near the borders of Bulgaria and Greece, ranked third.

Türkiye earned 23.7 billion U.S. dollars in tourism revenue in the first six months of the year, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said previously.

A tourist poses for photos at a scenic spot in Istanbul, Türkiye, Aug. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Lei)