TURKEY

Turkey is a vast peninsula, covering an area of 814,578 square kilometres or 314,510 square miles and linking Asia to Europe through the Sea of Marmara and the Straits of Istanbul and Çanakkale. Across the Sea of Marmara, the triangular shaped Trace is the continuation of Turkey on the European continent. Anatolia is rectangular in outline, 1500 kilometres long and 550 kilometres wide.

Life in Turkey is a rich variety of cultures and traditions, some dating back centuries and others or more recent heritage. Any visitor to Turkey will find a great deal that is exotic, and much that is reassuringly familiar. The intriguing blend of East and West makes up the Turkish lifestyle.

Visitors to Turkey are often pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of the Turkish people, who will go out of their way to assist and happily spend time chatting. Hospitality is a cornerstone of Turkish culture, and Turks believe that visitors should be treated as "Guests sent by God". This attitude has survived to the 21st century and does not appear to have been diminished by mass tourism. In fact, quite the reverse, most Turks welcome the opportunity to meet foreign visitors, learn about different cultures and practice their language skills. It is usual for Turks - even the men - to greet each other by kissing on both cheeks.

English is Turkey's second widest spoken language and you will easily find English speakers in the major cities and holiday resorts. Restaurant menus and other information for foreigners are often printed in English. Turkey is one of the safest countries in the world with Interpol ranking it as one of the safest holiday destination in Europe.

Check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website http://www.mfa.gov.tr for updated information and information on which passport holders may require a visa before leaving their country. The visa for UK passport holders currently costs £10 and must be paid for with a Sterling note. The visa fee for USA and Australian passport holders is $20/€15. Canadian passport holders need to pay $60/€45.

General Tourism Statistics About Turkey

Data for Turkish Tourism in 2010

28.6 millions of international tourist arrivals¹
20.8 billion $ of tourism receipts
General Statistics About the Tourism Turkey Capacity

 - 48 airports with annual 50-million- passenger capacity
 - 16 airports open to international flights,
 - 1.000.000-bed capacity
 - 8 airlines carrying passengers with scheduled ve nonscheduled navigations
 - Turkish Airlines with 130 planes, one of the youngest fleet in Europe
 - 28 Marinas with 8800-yacht capacity
 - 258 beaches and 13 marinas with blue flag since 2008
 - 34 Thermal Tourism Centers in 17 Provinces
 - 20 Winter Sports Tourism Centers
 - 22 Highland Tourism Centers in 10 Provinces
 - 33 official National Parks
 - 16 official Natural Parks
 - 14 Clubs and hotels with golf fields

More about Turkey: http://www.goturkey.com/turkiye.php?lng=en&content=factforvisitors