Property investors looking to Turkey for solid investment prospects will be encouraged by the news that the Turkish Tourist Office has been nominated for an international award.
In the last two months, visitor numbers to Turkey have shot up. The Tourism Ministry announced a 19.17 per cent increase in June in the number of foreign visitors, which is a rise of nearly four million tourists in the first half of the year, compared with the same period last year.
Each year, the 2008 World Travel Awards select a tourist board winner, and this year, Focus on Travel News has reported that Turkey is among those nominated in the Europe's leading tourist board category. The winner of the award will be announced in December.
As international investors well know, an increase in the number of tourists can only be a good thing for investment potential and rental returns. Those considering snapping up a property in Turkey could cash in on the influx of visitors.
In a further bid to increase tourist numbers, the Turkish tourist board is teaming up with the Turkish private sector to generate an £182 million advertising campaign to highlight the potentials of the country as both a holiday or investment destination.
Last year, Culture and Tourism Minister Ertugrul Gunay stated that the Turkish Government was planning to increase the amount it spends on promoting Turkey to prospective visitors overseas, so this new advertising campaign is fulfilling that plan.
Mr Gunay also said that the country had set itself the target of boosting tourist numbers from 20 million in 2007 to 25 million this year.