STORY: Türkiye's tourism revenue rises to 54.3 bln USD in 2023
SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 31, 2024
DATELINE: Feb. 1, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:26
LOCATION: ISTANBUL, Türkiye
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of views of Istanbul city
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): MEHMET NURI ERSOY, Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister
3. various of views of Istanbul city
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Turkish): MEHMET NURI ERSOY, Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister
5. various of tourists

STORYLINE:

Türkiye's tourism revenues rose 17 percent year-on-year to 54.3 billion U.S. dollars in 2023, the culture and tourism minister announced Wednesday.

Mehmet Nuri Ersoy also pointed out at a meeting in Istanbul that the sector ended the year 2023 with 56.7 million visitors, a 10 percent increase compared to the previous year.

Ersoy explained that Türkiye had changed its strategy and diversified its tourism products since 2018.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): MEHMET NURI ERSOY, Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister
"We see the impact of tourism product diversification on the average length of stay when we introduce products that involve short-term stays, such as international events, sports tournaments, and festivals."

In 2023, Türkiye was the most popular destination for Russian tourists, followed by German visitors.

Ersoy said studies are currently being conducted to attract more visitors, especially from North America, Canada, China, India, and Australia.

The minister also stated that the average expenditure per tourist is expected to surge to 106 dollars per night this year from 99 dollars in 2023.

According to Ersoy, Türkiye's archaeological riches will play an important role in attracting more visitors to the country. He added that various activities are already planned, including night tours in museums and archaeological sites.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Turkish): MEHMET NURI ERSOY, Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister
"We will break new records in 2024. We are targeting 60 million visitors and 60 billion dollars of tourism revenue."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Istanbul, Türkiye.
(XHTV)