ISTANBUL, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's tourism industry is holding high hopes for 2019 as the latest data indicate significant signs of recovery for the first three quarters of this year.

The country hosted nearly 32 million tourists during the first nine months of 2018, a 23-percent increase year on year, according to figures released by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The Turkish Statistical Institute, meanwhile, reported 22.9 billion U.S. dollars in revenue during the period, up 13.9 percent.

"We can now say that 2018 has become a year in which Turkey's tourism sector has been fully recovered and got an important acceleration," Firuz Baglikaya, chairman of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies, told Xinhua.

"Turkey is now closer to hosting a total of 40 million foreign tourists at the end of this year," he said, noting the sector aims to attract more than 50 million tourists in 2019.

Russia topped the list by sending 5.1 million visitors to Turkey between January and October, followed by Germany (3.6 million) and Britain (1.9 million).

Turkey's tourism industry is rebounding after suffering from a spate of terror attacks, political uncertainty and bad relations with Germany, Russia and others in the past years.

"We're especially working hard to increase the diversity of our tourism products and spread tourism activities to 12 months of the year," Baglikayahe said, referring to congress tourism, cruise, sports, golf and health tourism on top of the traditional sea, sand and sun.

Sector representatives are hopeful that the newly inaugurated Istanbul Airport has significant potential to boost tourist arrivals in Turkey in the days ahead.

"The new airport will also provide new slots for world airlines which operate in long-haul destinations, bringing more tourists from long distances," a Turkish pilot told Xinhua.