The number of international arrivals was up 5.1% y/y to 0.46mn in November 2016. Out of the top five source markets, there was strong growth from Armenia (+10.8% y/y), Russia (+9.8% y/y), and Ukraine (+15.9% y/y), while arrivals were down from Azerbaijan (-1.8% y/y) and Turkey (-12.1% y/y). Arrivals from the EU were up 26.0% y/y to over 14,000 visitors.
The number of international arrivals is up 7.9% y/y to 5.86mn visitors in 11M16. The number of visitors increased from all major countries except for Turkey in 11M16. Russia and Ukraine posted double-digit growth rates, while Azerbaijan (+9.8%) was the single largest contributor to overall growth. The number of Turkish visitors has been on the decline for six consecutive months, starting in June 2016, largely due to political unrest in the country, resulting in a 9.4% y/y drop in visitors in 11M16.
While the top four source markets accounted for 83.3% of international arrivals in 11M16, secondary source markets also posted robust performances. Georgia has benefited from visa-free travel reinstatement for Iranian citizens in February 2016, with the number of Iranian visitors increasing at triple-digit rates, compared to last year. The number of Iranian visitors in 11M16 is up almost 6.0x to 139,000. The number of Israeli visitors during the same period is up 1.5x to nearly 89,000 visitors. Ukraine, the 5th largest source market, posted a 22.4% y/y increase in 11M16, more than compensating for the 2015 drop in the number of Ukrainian visitors caused by political tension in the country.
Tourist arrivals continue to be the driver of growth in November 2016. The number of overnight visitors (‘tourist’ category) was up 14.1% y/y and accounted for 35.9% of total international arrivals. Same-day arrivals posted modest growth of 3.1% y/y, while the number of transit visitors decreased 4.5% y/y. The number of tourist arrivals is up 19.3% y/y in 11M16 to 2.54mn, compared to 2.13mn in 11M15. The number of same-day visitors is up 4.3% y/y in 11M16, while the number of transit visitors is down 5.0% y/y.
