Nearly 500,000 tourists flocked to Yalova, one of the most prominent thermal tourism destinations of Turkey, in 2021 to enjoy the comfort of the natural hot springs.

As a top destination for nature lovers, Yalova offers domestic and foreign tourists the opportunity for a relaxing thermal holiday any season of the year.

The province draws tourists with 17 facilities with a capacity of 5,000 beds, certified by the country's Culture and Tourism Ministry as well as businesses with municipal certificates.

A center for healing for civilizations dating back to the Roman era, Yalova’s thermal spas in 2021 attracted nearly half a million visitors, including 120,000 tourists from the United States, Germany, Iran, Russia, Portugal, Switzerland, Greece, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Ümit Gürbüzoglu, deputy head of the Health Ministry's Thermal Hot Springs Enterprise, said Yalova is a special favorite of Russian tourists.

Russian vacationers enjoy Yalova's atmosphere, including the hot springs as well as nature, he added.

Stating that tourists prefer Yalova because they like the temperature of the water and plenty of oxygen, Gürbüzoglu said, "There are also many people who come from Istanbul for a day. They take nature walks and benefit from the thermal pools."