The number of international visitors in Turkey increased significantly in 2022 over the previous year, following a sharp drop in 2020 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Overall, international tourists totaled nearly 44.6 million in 2022, nearly doubling from 2021 but staying slightly below the peak of 45 million inbound visitors recorded in 2019. Although it did not catch up yet with pre-pandemic figures, the volume of arrivals rose across all major inbound travel markets in Turkey in 2021 and 2022. In those years, travelers from Germany and Russia accounted for the highest inbound arrivals.

International tourism reporting in Turkey International visitor numbers are derived from registries kept by the Turkish Passport Police at the border gates and reported by Turkey’s Ministry of Tourism. Figures are for the number of inbound visitors arriving at Turkish borders for both overnight and same-day visits. They do not include citizens of Turkey that are resident abroad. Statistics including citizens resident abroad are reported under total inbound visitor arrivals.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic: the tourism drop in 2016, then the recovery Tourism in Turkey suffered a major blow in 2016. International tourist numbers fell by 30 percent compared to the previous year, the lowest they had been since 2007. Several major terrorist attacks and an attempted coup in July 2016 had an immediate impact on the tourism industry. However, against the odds, the industry made a miraculous recovery, with tourists returning to Turkey in 2017 and numbers peaking at a record high in 2019.

The total contribution of travel and tourism to employment in Turkey rose by 5.5 percent in 2023 over the previous year, following a substantial drop in 2020 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Overall, travel and tourism in the country generated, directly and indirectly, over 3.2 million jobs in 2023, which reached above pre-pandemic levels. By 2034, the employment figures are forecast to increase slightly.

Tourist Arrivals in Turkey increased to 2171942 in February from 2171118 in January of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - Turkey Tourist Arrivals - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

In 2023, Russia was the leading inbound travel market for Turkey based on the volume of tourist arrivals, reaching over 6.3 million visitors. Germany and the United Kingdom followed on the list, with approximately 6.2 and 3.8 million arrivals, respectively. One of the most popular destinations in Europe With hundreds of beaches, mountains, nature, and historical sites in various cities, Turkey has plenty of activities to offer to tourists. Consequently, the country attracts millions of visitors every year. In 2023, following Italy, Turkey ranked fourth among the most popular destinations in Europe, having welcomed over 55 million travelers. That year, Turkey’s inbound tourism receipts amounted to 49.5 billion U.S. dollars, which placed the country fifth among other European destinations. Inbound tourism in Turkey The country saw a sharp decrease in the number of inbound tourist arrivals in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. However, from 2022 onwards, the figures caught up with the pre-pandemic levels. In 2023, over 49 million international tourists visited Turkey, which was the peak value recorded since 2000. In the same year, the vast majority of foreign travelers arrived in Turkey with the purpose of travel, entertainment, sport, or cultural activities. Furthermore, about 7.2 million foreigners visited their relatives and friends in Turkey.

In 2023, travel and tourism in the country generated, directly and indirectly, 131.4 billion U.S. dollars. The estimated contribution of the travel and tourism industry to GDP is 135.5 U.S. dollars in 2024. It is forecast for the contribution of travel and tourism to Turkey's GDP to rise even more by 2034.

From 2019 to 2023, Istanbul was the leading destination in Turkey based on the volume of international tourist arrivals each year. Overall, inbound travelers in that city totaled over 17 million in 2023, more than tripling compared to 2020, when the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic started, reaching above pre-pandemic figures. Antalya was the second leading tourist destination in 2023, with around 14.8 million inbound arrivals.

Istanbul does not lose its popularity

Istanbul has been an attractive destination with plenty of sights including mosques, churches, museums, palaces, and the Bosphorus Strait, which connects two large continents, Europe, and Asia. This city, which has hosted different civilizations and cultures for centuries, has welcomed millions of foreign and local visitors for years. In 2022, the largest city of Turkey attracted 17.4 million foreign tourists, which was above the pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic level. In line with the high inflation in the country, accommodation prices in Istanbul have generally been increasing. As of October 2023, the average cost for an overnight stay in the city was 117 euros.

Domestic tourism is falling back

Although international tourism in Turkey has been recovering from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and its limitations, domestic tourism has fallen behind. Factors such as high inflation, price increases, and the soaring cost of living in the country have also affected local tourism. In 2023, the number of domestic trips was about 22 percent less compared to the peak figures in 2018. In relation to this, the number of overnight stays of domestic travelers has been generally following a negative trend in the last few years. Local tourists recorded roughly 473 million nights at accommodations in 2023, still below the pre-pandemic levels.

Business travel and tourism spending (%) of Turkey surged by 9.27% from 0.5 % in 2018 to 0.6 % in 2019. Since the 17.53% drop in 2016, business travel and tourism spending (%) soared by 25.18% in 2019. The share of Travel & Tourism spending or employment in the equivalent economy-wide concept in the published national income accounts or labour market statistics. Visitor exports are compared with exports of all goods and services Domestic Travel & Tourism spending is compared with GDP Government individual Travel & Tourism spending is compared with total government spending Internal Travel & Tourism consumption is compared with total internal consumption (i.e. total domestic spending plus total export) Leisure Travel & Tourism contribution to GDP is compared with total GDP Business Travel & Tourism contribution to GDP is compared with total GDP Travel & Tourism capital investment spending is compared with all fixed investment spending

In Turkey, international tourists represented the highest share of travel and tourism spending in 2023, accounting for almost 69 percent of total spending. The expenditure by inbound travelers, however, declined by two percentage points compared to 2019.

Turkey Visitor Arrivals: Foreign: ow Russian Federation data was reported at 203.733 Person th in Jan 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 205.848 Person th for Dec 2024. Turkey Visitor Arrivals: Foreign: ow Russian Federation data is updated monthly, averaging 110.008 Person th from Jan 1996 (Median) to Jan 2025, with 349 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,078.904 Person th in Aug 2019 and a record low of 0.922 Person th in Apr 2020. Turkey Visitor Arrivals: Foreign: ow Russian Federation data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Turkey – Table TR.Q002: Visitor Arrivals: Foreign: by Country. [COVID-19-IMPACT]

In 2023, the number of international tourists visiting Istanbul peaked at 17.4 million. The number of foreign tourists arriving in Istanbul reached the second-highest value in 2019, at almost 15 million. Due to travel restrictions during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the number of foreign tourist arrivals in Istanbul fell dramatically in 2020, decreasing by a third compared to the previous year. Air travel in İstanbul After four years of construction, Istanbul Airport officially opened on October 29th, 2018, having replaced the Atatürk Airport from 2019 onwards. The airport also serves as the hub for Turkish Airlines. In 2023, Istanbul Airport saw approximately 76 million passengers pass through, which made it the second-busiest airport in Europe that year. The first place was taken by Heathrow Airport, located in London. In the same year, the second-busiest airport in the city, Sabiha Gökçen Airport, counted over 37 million air travelers, of which almost half were domestic passengers. Most visited museums Considered as the economic, cultural, and historic capital, İstanbul offers numerous cultural activities for visitors. Hence, the largest city recorded the highest number of museums among all provinces in Turkey, with 86 public and private museums in 2022. That year, the Galata Tower became the most visited museum in İstanbul, welcoming over one million visitors. Built as a watch tower in the Byzantine period for the first time in the 13th century, the Galata Tower has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Temporary List since 2013.

Real leisure travel and tourism spending of Turkey went up by 3.33% from 52.2 billion US dollars in 2018 to 54.0 billion US dollars in 2019. Since the 11.46% drop in 2016, real leisure travel and tourism spending rocketed by 39.18% in 2019. US dollar billion, expressed at 2011 prices and exchange rates. This series excludes the effect of price changes and therefore allows for real (volume) changes to be determined.

Tourism expenditures as a share of total imports of Turkey sank by 69.70% from 2.3 % in 2019 to 0.7 % in 2020. Since the 6.20% jump in 2018, tourism expenditures as a share of total imports plummeted by 70.82% in 2020. International tourism expenditures are expenditures of international outbound visitors in other countries, including payments to foreign carriers for international transport. These expenditures may include those by residents traveling abroad as same-day visitors, except in cases where these are important enough to justify separate classification. For some countries they do not include expenditures for passenger transport items. Their share in imports is calculated as a ratio to imports of goods and services, which comprise all transactions between residents of a country and the rest of the world involving a change of ownership from nonresidents to residents of general merchandise, goods sent for processing and repairs, nonmonetary gold, and services.

Algeria Visitor Arrivals: Frontiers: Foreigners: Europe: Turkey data was reported at 6,605.000 Person in Dec 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 7,776.000 Person for Sep 2019. Algeria Visitor Arrivals: Frontiers: Foreigners: Europe: Turkey data is updated quarterly, averaging 2,952.000 Person from Dec 2000 (Median) to Dec 2019, with 73 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10,897.000 Person in Sep 2018 and a record low of 766.000 Person in Sep 2002. Algeria Visitor Arrivals: Frontiers: Foreigners: Europe: Turkey data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Tourism and Handicraft. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Algeria – Table DZ.Q002: Visitor Arrivals: Frontiers.

Domestic tourism expenditure in Turkey bounced back from 2021 after dropping sharply in the first year of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In 2023, expenditures in all segments increased to even above pre-pandemic figures. In the same year, spending on eating and drinking during domestic trips amounted to 73.6 billion Turkish lira. Meanwhile, domestic expenditure on accommodation totaled over 39 billion Turkish lira that year.

The Turkey medical tourism industry growth is predicted to surge at a CAGR of 6.1% during the forecast period. The industry is standing at USD 3,972.9 million as of 2024 and is on its way forward to cross USD 7,182.3 million by 2034.

Attributes	Description
Estimated Global Turkey Medical Tourism Industry Size (2024E)	USD 3,972.9 million
Projected Global Turkey Medical Tourism Industry Value (2034F)	USD 7,182.3 million
Value-based CAGR (2024 to 2034)	6.1%

Semi Annual Industry Update

Particular	Value CAGR
H1	5.4% (2023 to 2033)
H2	5.9% (2023 to 2033)
H1	6.5% (2024 to 2034)
H2	5.6% (2024 to 2034)

Category-wise Insights

Segment	Medical Procedures and Treatments (Service Type)
Value Share (2024)	29.3%

Segment	Online Booking (Booking Channel)
Value Share (2024)	47.8%

Turkey Length of Stay: 2 Star Motels: Foreign data was reported at 0.006 Night th in Oct 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.025 Night th for Sep 2023. Turkey Length of Stay: 2 Star Motels: Foreign data is updated monthly, averaging 0.005 Night th from Apr 2017 (Median) to Oct 2023, with 49 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.154 Night th in Apr 2019 and a record low of 0.000 Night th in Sep 2020. Turkey Length of Stay: 2 Star Motels: Foreign data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Turkey – Table TR.Q017: Accommodation Establishments: Length of Stay.

The number of citizens visiting destinations abroad from Turkey decreased significantly in 2021 over 2019 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In 2022, the figures increased to 7.3 million. Bulgaria welcomed about 1.5 million travelers from Turkey in 2023. Overall, Iraq was the leading destination abroad for Turkish outbound tourists in 2023, recording over 1.9 million visitors.

In 2024, the number of international tourists visiting Istanbul peaked at 18.6 million. The number of foreign tourists arriving in Istanbul reached the second-highest value in 2019, at almost 15 million. Due to travel restrictions during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the number of foreign tourist arrivals in Istanbul fell dramatically in 2020, decreasing by a third compared to the previous year. Air travel in İstanbul After four years of construction, Istanbul Airport officially opened on October 29th, 2018, having replaced the Atatürk Airport from 2019 onwards. The airport also serves as the hub for Turkish Airlines. In 2023, Istanbul Airport saw approximately 76 million passengers pass through, which made it the second-busiest airport in Europe that year. The first place was taken by Heathrow Airport, located in London. In the same year, the second-busiest airport in the city, Sabiha Gökçen Airport, counted over 37 million air travelers, of which almost half were domestic passengers. Most visited museums Considered as the economic, cultural, and historic capital, İstanbul offers numerous cultural activities for visitors. Hence, the largest city recorded the highest number of museums among all provinces in Turkey, with 86 public and private museums in 2022. That year, the Galata Tower became the most visited museum in İstanbul, welcoming over one million visitors. Built as a watch tower in the Byzantine period for the first time in the 13th century, the Galata Tower has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Temporary List since 2013.

Turkey GDP Nowcast: swda: YoY: Contribution: Equity Market: Borsa Istanbul: Index: BIST Tourism data was reported at 0.000 % in 10 Mar 2025. This stayed constant from the previous number of 0.000 % for 03 Mar 2025. Turkey GDP Nowcast: swda: YoY: Contribution: Equity Market: Borsa Istanbul: Index: BIST Tourism data is updated weekly, averaging 0.000 % from Jan 2019 (Median) to 10 Mar 2025, with 323 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.797 % in 30 Jan 2023 and a record low of 0.000 % in 10 Mar 2025. Turkey GDP Nowcast: swda: YoY: Contribution: Equity Market: Borsa Istanbul: Index: BIST Tourism data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by CEIC Data. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Turkey – Table TR.CEIC.NC: CEIC Nowcast: Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Visitor Arrivals excl Residing in Turkey data was reported at 2,171.118 Person th in Jan 2025. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2,588.856 Person th for Dec 2024. Visitor Arrivals excl Residing in Turkey data is updated monthly, averaging 2,693.151 Person th from Jan 2015 (Median) to Jan 2025, with 121 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7,413.887 Person th in Jul 2019 and a record low of 24.239 Person th in Apr 2020. Visitor Arrivals excl Residing in Turkey data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Turkey – Table TR.Q001: Visitor Arrivals: by Mode of Transport. [COVID-19-IMPACT]