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Turkey's tourist industry is getting annihilated - even before the coup

Ben Moshinsky   

Turkey's tourist industry is getting annihilated - even before the coup
Finance2 min read

istanbul airport attack memorial

Reuters/Murad Sezer

Airport employees attend a ceremony for their friends, who were killed in Tuesday's attack at the airport, at the international departure terminal of Ataturk airport in Istanbul, Turkey, June 30, 2016.

Tourists are steering clear of Turkey.

The country received almost half its the number of foreign visitors in June this year compared to 2015.

Numbers fell 41% to 2.4 million from 4.1 million the year before, according to figures published by the Turkish ministry of tourism on Thursday.

In total, just over 10 million tourists went to Turkey in the first half of the year, 27% fewer than the year before.

According to the Financial Times, it is the worst monthly drop in tourism on record for the country. And it's likely to get worse for Turkey's hotels and resorts.

The figures are yet to take into account the attempted military coup in July and the resulting government crackdown.

Turkish authorities have detained more than 15,000 people, including more than 10,000 soldiers, following the failed coup. More than 47,000 civil servants have lost their jobs in the crackdown, including almost 43,000 in the state education sector.

Here's the breakdown from the Turkish government:

Turkey tourism

Turkish Ministry of Tourism

Turkish tourism numbers peaked in 2014, with more than 41 million visitors over the course of the year. But, since then, terrorist attacks and escalating political tensions have made the country a less attractive destination.

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