Türkiye's Tourism Revenue Hits Record $61.1 Billion in 2024 as Visitors Reach 62.2 Million

Türkiye closed 2024 with the strongest tourism result in its history: revenue rose 8.3% year-on-year to $61.1 billion, and the country received 62.2 million visitors, up 9%, according to Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) data released on Friday, 31 January 2025. Anadolu Agency reported the figures, which exceeded the government's Medium-Term Program target of $61.1 billion for the year. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/economy/turkiyes-tourism-revenues-in-2024-hit-new-record-of-611b-/3467675

Record revenue and per-visitor spending

Average expenditures per visitor reached $972 for the whole trip and $97 per night in 2024. TurkStat also recorded the purpose of visits: 64.9% of visitors came for travel, entertainment, sporting and cultural activities. Outbound travel grew as well, with Turkish citizens making 11.4 million trips abroad, up 2.9% year-on-year.

52.6 million foreign tourists and where they went

A companion Anadolu Agency report based on the same official data put foreign tourist arrivals at 52.6 million, up 7% year-on-year. Four provinces absorbed the largest shares of the flow: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/economy/turkiye-sees-record-61b-tourism-revenue-in-2024-as-arrivals-hit-526m/3467962

• Istanbul — 18.6 million foreign visitors, the top destination;
• Antalya, the resort hub of the Turkish Riviera — 15.9 million;
• Edirne in the north-west — 4.8 million;
• Mugla on the Aegean coast — 3.7 million.

Top source markets

1. Visitors from Russia — 6.7 million, or 12.8% of all foreign arrivals (+6%);
2. Germany — 6.6 million (+6.9%);
3. the United Kingdom — 4.4 million (+16.7%);
4. Iran — 3.2 million (+30.9%);
5. Bulgaria — 2.9 million (+0.9%).

Government assessment and the 2025 target

Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz said on X that tourism revenue "exceeded our Medium Term Program target of $61.1 billion in 2024 and reached the highest level in our history." He stressed that the number of tourists beat forecasts and that the sector "revitalized economic activity, contributed to our balanced economic growth, provided employment opportunities for a large number of people, especially young people, and played an important role in improving the current account deficit through foreign exchange inflows."

Yilmaz added that these effects "strengthen our country's policies of disinflation and balanced and inclusive growth," and said he expects them to continue in 2025, when the government targets $63.6 billion in tourism revenue.