Following tensions between Turkey and Russia and recent terrorist attacks in Istanbul, Turkey has faced a significant decrease in the number of inbound tourists from Russia and Europe which has prompted officials to consider attracting more Iranian travelers to make up for the loss. As the first step to achieve this goal, Turkey’s Tourist Hotels & Investors Association will host 50 tour operators from seven metropolises of Iran including Tehran, Esfahan and Tabriz this week. During the trip, major tourist attractions of Istanbul will be introduced to the Iranian guests, Asriran news Website reported. Also, members of the association together with Turkey’s Ministry of Tourism and Culture will participate in the Tehran International Tourism Exhibition Feb. 16-19 to promote their tourism market. The gesture is expected to produce results in March which coincides with the Iranian New Year (Norouz) holiday season. Turkey saw a major decline in inbound tourism in 2015 compared to the previous year, while the number of Iranian visitors reached 1.6 million in the same period with a 6.3% increase. Tourism is of special importance to Turkey as 4.5% of the national economy depends on it.
