Türkiye has everything for international tourists, with its offerings going far beyond sun, sea, and sand, said the United Kingdom's envoy to Ankara highlighting the increasing number of British arrivals to the country.

Ambassador Jill Morris, who took up her new post in January wrapped up her weeklong tour of the country’s Aegean and Mediterranean coast in the famed resort of Antalya. She said her first impression of Türkiye has been of the wonderful Turkish hospitality, diversity, and the many varieties of tourism.

Over 3.8 million British tourists visited Türkiye last year, making British visitors the third-largest group in Türkiye, following Russians and Germans.

A 20% increase was expected this year (2023), bringing the number of British visitors to 4.5 million.

According to British tour operators, this would mean a whopping 200% increase in interest from British tourists since 2018, Morris told in her interview with Anadolu Agency (AA).

Morris said she started her tour of the Turkish Riviera – a tradition for British envoys – on the Aegean coast with Izmir, then visited Aydın, Bodrum, Marmaris, Muğla, and Fethiye, and finished in the resort city of Antalya to visit U.K. consulates and consular staff in the region, which serve a growing number of British expats and tourists each year.

The visit was also an opportunity to thank Turkish authorities for their hard work and collaboration to ensure that the millions of British tourists who visit every year have a "very happy and safe holiday" year after year.

"There is, of course, the sun, sea, and sand tourism that is so much loved, but we also have historical and archaeological sites and varied cultural tourism highlights. There is a really rich, diverse offer, as I have said many times, there is everything here," she said.

"And on this tour, I have seen exactly why British people love to come to Türkiye."

She stressed that the Muğla province itself attracts 46% of British visitors but added that Antalya is becoming increasingly popular and poised to become a top destination soon.

"Already this year, 1.2 million British tourists have come to Antalya. And the work that is being done here, like the airport expansion, for example, will make this area an even more attractive tourism destination."

Türkiye is ranked fourth globally among tourism destinations in 2022, according to a report by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), after France, Spain, and the U.S.

'Strategic partnership’

Touching upon the ever-deepening bilateral relations between the two countries on all fronts, Morris said they are determined and committed to tapping into that enormous potential.

"This for us is a strategic partnership. Türkiye for the United Kingdom is an indispensable partner. We work closely together in all fields, be it foreign policy, defense, trade; and we work together, not just bilaterally, but also we work together on the international stage," she stressed.

She said as "two, big important members" of NATO, a dimension that really "anchors" the relation and partnership, Türkiye and the U.K. cooperate in the G-20, the U.N., and many other international organizations.

‘New UK-Türkiye free trade pact in the works’

Morris highlighted that in July, to "reflect the modernity of our two economies, the modern, dynamic Turkish economy and the modern, dynamic British economy," the U.K. and Türkiye confirmed an intention to negotiate a new free trade agreement.

"We will be able to modernize the current arrangement that we have, in order to expand into areas like digital and services. This will be a very ambitious, forward-looking agreement, and with the Turkish government, we are hoping to start negotiations on that next year."

"In July, three British ministers visited Türkiye, with programs that included attendance at the important defense trade fair in Istanbul," she said, referring to the International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF).

She added that "many more high-level visits are planned for the rest of this year and into 2024."

The intention to update the existing trade agreement to a 21st-century deal would enhance an already thriving trading relationship, which reached around 23.5 billion pounds ($30 billion) in 2022, up over 30% from the previous year.

The new deal is expected to cover key areas of the U.K. economy like digital services and data.

Türkiye is a major supplier of goods such as vehicles, clothing, and electrical machinery and goods to the U.K., which is its fourth-largest goods export market, in return for over $8 billion of U.K. goods exports, including power generators and metals.

"The numbers have been growing and growing, and last year we reached the highest level in our bilateral trade. What this new trade agreement will do is allow Turkish businesses and British businesses from a wider range of sectors to take advantage of the opportunities that exist in our joint markets," she said, adding: "Certainly, we share a high level of ambition."