Revitalizing Turkey’s tourism sector was one of the major achievements of late Prime Minister Turgut Ozal, the man who dominated Turkish politics in the 1980s. Ozal, who would often make public appearances clad in shorts and a T-shirt, sped up investment in the tourism sector at a time when Turkey was toiling to sustain its fragile economy, unaware that its natural beauty, history, sea and sunshine could be also marketed. Driven by the build-operate-transfer model and lucrative incentives, five-star hotels and holiday villages sprang up on Turkey’s coasts. “Industry without chimneys” became the memorable slogan of the sector.

In 2011, the new mentality and physical infrastructure culminated in Turkey becoming the world’s sixth most popular tourist destination after France, the United States, China, Spain and Italy.

The world’s discovery of Turkey has accelerated in recent years. The number of visitors reached 39.2 million last year, including 33.8 foreigners and 5.4 million Turkish workers based abroad. The sector generated $32.3 billion in revenues.

The Turkish Association of Travel Agencies (TURSAB) estimates that the total number of tourists will rise to 43 million and the sector’s revenues up to $36 billion this year.