3 million British tourists expected in 2018: UK envoy

ANTALYA, Turkey

Almost three million British tourists are expected to visit Turkey in 2018, the UK Ambassador to Turkey Dominick Chilcott said on Monday.

Visiting Governor of Antalya Munir Karaloglu in his office in Antalya, Chillcott said the tourists from the UK would reach record numbers this year.

"There is a rapid comeback. So, we are really excited about that. We expect three million tourists to come to Turkey," Chillcott said.

He said the main reason for UK tourists to visit Antalya was not only its nature or attractiveness as a tourist destination, but also its being a safe city.

Chillott said he himself would do his best to increase the number of British visitors to Turkey and the quality of their holidays in Antalya.

Karaloglu emphasized that Antalya was a major tourist destination and their priority was always providing security for tourists.

“The comeback of tourists to Turkey is pleasing for us. British tourists would mostly choose Aegean coasts; however, in recent years, they have also been preferring Antalya coasts,” Karaloglu said.

Reporting by Leyla Ataman Koyuncuoglu; Writing by Sibel Ugurlu