More and more Arab tourists travel abroad

In the Turkish restaurants around Taksim Square in Istanbul, the menus are getting a new look. It's not so much the food that is changing but the languages, as more and more restaurateurs choose to include Arabic.

Erkan Ali Karabulut, manager of Cafe Eylül in the touristic Talimhane district near the square, is reprinting his menus this year. “If you speak Arabic with Arabic tourists, they see you as a friend, and feel more comfortable,” he said.

Turkey has made much over the past year of its growing influence in the Arab world. Less well documented is the growing Arab influence within Turkey. The Turkish tourism sector, once the preserve of semi-adventurous westerners, is now dominated by Arabs. Last year, there were approximately 3 million visitors from Arab countries – the Guardian reports.