TEHRAN– Iranian nationals became the fifth source of tourism for neighboring Turkey in October.

Travelers from ranked fifth among tourists entering Turkey in October, after inbound passengers who came from Russia, Germany, England, and Bulgaria, ISNA reported on Tuesday.

Based on official data, Turkey welcomed some 4.8 million tourists in October, which shows a 38.4% jump from a year earlier during the month.

In addition to the influx from Russia, the rebound this year has been driven by a major leap in demand from Europe, spearheaded by Germany and the United Kingdom, Daily Sabah reported.

Russian visitors topped the list among nations in October with 467,814 arrivals. They were followed by Germany at 746,192, the United Kingdom at 388,017, Bulgaria at 326,429, and Iran at 185,945, the data showed.

 Istanbul, Turkey’s most famous province and the largest one by population, was the top draw for foreign visitors, welcoming 13.4 million tourists from January through October this year.

Germans made up 13.3% of all visitors in the 10 months with 5.3 million, followed by Russians with 4.6 million, Britons with 3.2 million, Bulgarians with 2.3 million, and Iranians with two million.

Iran and Turkey have long been potential tourism markets for each other. Earlier this year, travel experts from Iran and Turkey discussed ideas to help expand tourism between the two neighbors.

The director of the Touring and Automobile Club of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mohammad Hossein Soufi and a delegation of Turkish tourism officials explored ways to strengthen ties, develop interaction, and hold joint events including family and cultural rallies.

Earlier in May, Iranian Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Ezatollah Zarghami called for further efforts to deepen cooperation with Turkey in a meeting with Ali Yildirim, the president of Turkey’s Alevi community.

AM