Tourists flock to Istanbul due to unusually warm weather

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

As a city rich in tourism, history, culture and gastronomy, Istanbul has been attracting more tourists this autumn due to its unusually warm weather, which has been steadily above seasonal average. Hence, both foreign tourists and local citizens are flocking to the historical and touristic areas of the city.

Crowded tourist groups, particularly on Istanbul’s historic peninsula, are making local tradesmen and hoteliers happy this year. These tourist groups include transit passengers using Istanbul for connected flights.

Named the world’s eighth most visited city in 2018, Istanbul witnessed its best numbers in the last five years by hosting almost 10 million foreign tourists, 9.9 million to be precise, from 200 countries as of August this year. Last year, Istanbul welcomed 13.4 million foreigners and in August 2018 alone, 1.3 million foreigners visited the city.

Tourists from various parts of the world, especially from Europe and the Far East, have shown interest in Hagia Sophia. Apart from the famed structure, another must-see place, Topkapı Palace, has also been welcoming a large number of tourists.

For the first time in history, tourists in Istanbul are expected to exceed the city’s own residents in number. The city is expected to receive 15.5 million tourists by the end of this year.

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