Ankara forecasts record $64 billion in tourism revenue by year-end
Turkey, the world’s fourth-largest inbound tourism market according to UN Tourism data for 2024, recorded positive performance in its tourism sector for the first nine months of 2025, as announced at a press conference in Istanbul.
Turkey’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, said that the country welcomed 50 million international visitors between January and September 2025, an increase of 1.6% compared to the same period in 2024.
Tourism revenues reached 50 billion US dollars, an increase of 5.7% year-on-year. Visitors stayed in Turkey for an average of 10.3 nights, with an average expenditure of 103 dollars per person per night, an increase of 7% compared to last year.
“The first nine months of 2025 presented significant challenges for our region. We have seen the effects of regional conflicts and seasonal changes caused by global warming. However, thanks to our strategy, we exceeded last year’s revenues by 5.7% and recorded 50 billion dollars. “It is the first time we have exceeded this level in the third quarter,” Ersoy said, adding that the annual target of $64 billion in tourism revenue remains within reach.
The top three inbound tourism markets for Turkey in the January-September 2025 period were:
- Russia: 5.53 million visitors
- Germany: 5.22 million visitors
- United Kingdom: 3.54 million visitors
