Invest News DetailDunya - The appeal of Türkiye’s transcontinental city as a tourism hot spot has drawn more than 8 million foreign visitors during the last year, according to data from the Istanbul Culture and Tourism department. The number of arrivals in 2011 increased by 16 percent over the previous year’s 6.9 million, with Germans being the most frequent visitors. They were followed by Russian, American, Italian, and French tourists. “Despite the financial crisis in Europe and political turmoil in the Middle East, Istanbul has had a successful year in tourism terms. A 16 percent increase in foreign visitors is a remarkable success in view of the circumstances,” said the Istanbul Culture and Tourism Director, Emre Bilgili. Türkiye ranked 7th among the world’s most popular destinations with over 30 million tourists visiting the country in 2011.