Turkey Expects Steady Increase In Number Of Spanish Tourists, Tourism Official

MADRID - A Turkish tourism official said on Wednesday that a steady increase was expected in the number of Spanish tourists that would visit Turkey in 2008.
Ismail Aksel, Turkish Counselor for Tourism and Culture in the Spanish city of Madrid, said that there had been a remarkable rise in the number of Spanish tourists visiting Turkey since 2003.
"During the first 3 months of 2008, there was a 20 percent rise in the number of Spanish tourists over the same period of last year. Our target is to reach 350,000 tourists by the end of this year," Aksel said.
He also said that Spain would become a real market for Turkey, if such figure exceeded 400,000.
Aksel said Spanish visitors mainly preferred short-period vacations in Istanbul in March and May 2008.
He also said Turkey would be promoted effectively in big Spanish cities in May and June.
(DO-AÖ)