Under the leadership of Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Türkiye is poised to become one of the top three global vacation destinations by 2028. Ongoing efforts are focused on extending the tourism season and enhancing the allure of the country’s cultural, historical, and archaeological sites.
Foreign arrivals to Turkey soared to a record 49.2 million in 2023, a substantial increase from 44.6 million the previous year. Notably, visitors from Russia and Europe, particularly Germany and the United Kingdom, played a pivotal role in this surge.
With an estimated 7.5 million Turkish citizens living abroad, the total number of tourists visiting Turkey rose to 56.7 million. The administration is projecting 60 million arrivals this year, with an ambitious target of 80 million by 2028.
Tourism is critical for Türkiye because foreign exchange profits are necessary for converting current account deficits into surpluses. The goal remains increasing exports, output, and investment while combating growing inflation.
Last year, tourism revenue reached a record $54.32 billion (TL 1.75 trillion), up from $46.48 billion in 2022. The prediction for this year is $60 billion, to reach $100 billion by 2028.
In 2023, income per visitor was $93 per night, with aims of $103 this year and $130 by 2028. Ersoy attributes these objectives to deliberately diversifying markets and goods, strengthening the sector’s resilience.
Previously, any crisis would result in considerable changes in travel. Despite geopolitical problems and wars in the area, Turkey has effectively risen from seventh to fourth place internationally.
Ersoy underscored Turkey’s progress, citing the objective of diversifying and extending the tourist season beyond the usual sun, sea, and sand experiences. “Our aim is to promote tourism throughout all 12 months, focusing on cultural and archaeological tourism,” he said.
To do this, Türkiye intends to highlight its cultural and archaeological monuments, notably in the eastern and southeastern areas, shifting away from an exclusively coastal focus. Türkiye hopes to increase tourism to all 81 provinces, not only the coast.