Türkiye's 9-month tourism revenue reaches record $51.3B, tourism minister says

By Ozlem Limon

ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye's tourism revenue climbed 2.4% year-on-year to reach a record $51.28 billion in the first nine months of 2026, Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said on Friday.

Speaking at a news conference at the Ataturk Cultural Center in Istanbul, Ersoy presented the sector's performance for the third quarter and the January-September period.

The country welcomed 49.13 million visitors during the first nine months of the year, including 23.37 million in the third quarter alone.

Russia topped the list of source markets with 5.7 million visitors, followed by Germany with 5.17 million and the UK with 3.2 million.

Average visitor stays stood at 10.34 nights in the first nine months and 10.69 nights in the third quarter.

Average spending per night rose 4.6% year-on-year to $107.70 across all visitors in the nine-month period, with foreign tourists spending an average of $119.90 per night and expatriate citizens spending $72.20.

Ersoy noted that regional conflicts, airspace restrictions and rising energy prices have driven up aviation costs and pressured international travel demand throughout the year.

"While all these negative developments are occurring in our region, Türkiye stands out as an island of stability through its strong state structure, diplomatic capacity and efforts for peace and stability led by our president," Ersoy said.

"When activity slows in one market, we can intensify our efforts in other markets and replan our promotional and marketing activities according to developments," he added.

Ersoy said promotional campaigns carried out by the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency generated 7.1 billion digital impressions across 74 countries.

Additionally, 10 promotional miniseries highlighting destinations such as Cappadocia, Bodrum, Izmir, Ankara and the Black Sea reached 10.5 billion views globally during 2025 and 2026.

He said the ministry aims to expand tourism demand across all 81 provinces and throughout the year through initiatives such as the Heritage for the Future archaeological project and night museum access.

Looking ahead, Ersoy stated that Türkiye will intensify efforts in high-growth-potential markets, including the US, Canada, Asia, Africa and Australia, while expanding direct flight capacity in partnership with Turkish Airlines and tour operators.

He also emphasized that the ministry will make more effective use of data and artificial intelligence applications to monitor market demand, visitor preferences and campaign results.

Third-quarter tourism revenue rose 5% year-on-year to $25.53 billion, pushing both quarterly and nine-month revenues to the highest levels in the republic's history, Ersoy concluded.

Özlem Limon