Updated on May 29, 2023 by Axel Hernborg

Axel Hernborg

Turkey has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the globe. This is due to its spectacular natural beauty, historical and cultural landmarks, and delicious cuisine.

Istanbul is Turkey’s cultural and historical hotspot, and it ranks among the most popular travel destinations, along with Antalya.

A lot more people have started to consider going to Turkey. The amount of incoming tourists is always growing.

Therefore, if you are looking to go to Turkey anytime soon, then you may be interested to learn about tourism in this country.

Read on to discover Turkey’s tourism statistics and trends that you may wish to keep in mind.

Turkey Tourism Industry

Turkey Tourism Statistics And Trends

Vice chairman of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TURSAB), Ali Bilir, has suggested that Turkey massively diversified its tourism business.

This was implemented by adding new locations to its list of travel destinations. They are also putting forth significant effort to meet the target of hosting 75 million visitors by 2023.

Turkey attracts tourists from all over the globe thanks to its cultural and historical landmarks in addition to its Mediterranean climate.

Due to its location between Southeast Europe and Western Asia, the nation’s tourist attractions are impacted by both the East and the West.

The Kaçkar Mountains and the calm Turkish Riviera coasts are only two examples of Turkey’s natural beauty and scenery.

These also happen to be major magnets for tourists visiting the transcontinental nation. Not also forgetting the rich history of the country that tourists can discover as well.

In recent years, tourism in Turkey has grown quickly. 2021, saw the start of the increase of popularity when it came to tourism in Turkey.

Recent Turkey Tourism Trends

Since the pandemic, a lot of countries have struggled to gain their tourists back. Yet for Turkey, the opposite seems to have happened. They have seen an influx of people come to Turkey.

Read on to learn more about recent Turkey tourism trends.

  • Many nations were devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly those whose economies were dependent on travel and tourism. The pandemic cost Turkey up to $12 billion in lost income and reduced travel demand in the first half of 2020 by 75% compared to the same period in 2019.
  • It is said that Turkey managed to achieve a V-shaped recovery within the tourism industry in 2021. This is a factor which has led to the high new popularity trend of more tourists visiting.
  • An all-time high of 51.2 million foreign travellers arrived in Turkey in 2019. In 2020, 15.9 million tourists came to Turkey, which represents a 75% drop from 2019. Then, 30 million foreign tourists visited Turkey in 2021, an increase of 88% over 2020. Then in 2022, this number rose to 45 million.
    This number is starting to rise, year after year. This is why officials predict almost double this number for 2023.
  • A lot more businesses within Turkey are signing up for the Healthy Tourism Certification program. This was set up to ensure employees are safe at various establishments that have a lot to do with tourists. Yet, it is also a way of offering support to tourists. As it showcases the establishments that are at the highest levels of health and hygiene levels.

The Effect Tourism Has On Turkey

Turkey TourismStatistics AndTrends

Tourism is huge in Turkey as it has an impact on many things. However, the main ones are the economy and employment.

Read on to understand the effects of tourism in Turkey.

  • 50 million tourists are anticipated to visit Turkey in 2023, making it one of the top choices for travellers. However, there is also a target to attract 70 million tourists in 2024.
  • Germany topped the list of nations sending the most tourists to Turkey, with 2,992,551 travellers. This is an increase of 128.8% from the same “7-month period” the previous year.
  • The tourism industry is one of the fastest growing sectors within the Turkey economy. The Turkish economy greatly benefits from the tourism industry. The total revenue from tourism in 2019 was USD 41.3 billion, or 5.4% of GDP.
  • 2.3 million individuals, or 8.1% of the workforce, were employed in jobs related to tourism as well.
  • The future lies in tourism. The Sustainable Tourism Support Fund was established to define tourism as a sustainable development tool in Turkey. Encouraging entrepreneurship to create local models, and collaborating with the public, private, academic, civil society, and local community sectors to support tourism.

This program is beneficial for local Turkey residents and helps to promote a much more sustainable tourism economy within Turkey.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism is doing its best to ensure that the economy and the tourist economy will continue without being affected by other factors.

Turkey has long been a popular place for Russian tourists. However, a lot of challenges are stopping Russian and also Ukrainian tourists from coming over.

As a result, Turkey has started to look elsewhere for their tourists. Many hope that tourists from Germany, who Turkey has seen a big increase with, will be able to make up for any shortcomings.

There is also an emphasis on British and Polish tourists as well. This will then ensure that no business will suffer as a result of fewer tourists.

Turkey Tourists Facts You Need To Know

As you can see Turkey is doing its best to attract more tourists. Below we have collected several tourism facts related to Turkey, which we think you need to be aware of.

  • Turkey offers inexpensive lodging for as little as £7 a night, including a complimentary continental breakfast. Mid-range to luxury lodging starts at about £79 to £120 per night. Along with other amenities, they offer minibars, complimentary toiletries, and clothes racks.
  • American Express revealed its trending destinations list, and Istanbul ranked third after Florida Keys and Copenhagen.
  • The number of languages spoken in Turkey is one of its most intriguing facts. Over 30 minority languages, including Kurmanji (Northern Kurdish), Mesopotamian Arabic, and Zazaki, are spoken across the nation. Despite Turkish being the official language.
  • The name of the recognizable red felt hat with a black tassel originates in the Moroccan city of Fez. The crimson dye used to colour the hat came from there. The fez was outlawed by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in the 1920s because he believed it symbolised the Ottoman Empire. You won’t likely get pulled over for wearing one today, however, legislation has never been overruled.
  • The Grand Bazaar, one of the biggest and oldest markets in the world, receives up to 400,000 visitors each day. It’s frequently referred to as one of the world’s oldest shopping centres. To master the technique of haggling and prevent getting lost, think about travelling with a local guide.
  • Everywhere you go in Turkey, there is something to see and do. The swooping rock valleys found in Cappadocia are perfect for anyone trying to capture that perfect image to take home. If you don’t want to hike you can easily take a hot air balloon ride over the valley as well.
  • Istanbul might be the largest city in Turkey, but it’s not the capital. Instead, Ankara is the capital of Turkey.
  • You could visit Turkey all year long, but the typical tourist season is between April to October. This is when the weather is pleasant and a lot of the ancient sites are open to the public. A lot of coral areas will close from November to March.

Conclusion

Turkey is a fanatics tourist destination that has been slowly growing in popularity in the past couple of years.

The turkey economy relies on the tourism industry, thus the government has put a lot of work into making the tourism economy a lot more sustainable.

Turkey has started to see a higher number of holidaymakers from other parts of the world than ever before. As long as they continue to adapt, Turkey will continue to be a popular tourist destination.

We hope this article has been hopeful. You have been given an insight into Turkey’s tourism statistics and trends.

Resources

Turkey Tourism and the top 10 places to visit in 2023