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Russian arrivals in Türkiye continued their upward trend in 2025, with a 2.25% year-over-year increase during the first 10 months, reaching 6.39 million visitors, according to figures released by the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry.
The figures point to continued strong interest from Russians in Türkiye’s hospitality sector, as total arrivals in the country saw a marginal year-on-year decrease of 0.1% during the 10 months.
Despite the slight contraction, the country’s top five source markets remained largely resilient. Russia emerged once again as the leading source country, with Russian tourists accounting for 13.5% of all international visits to Türkiye.
Germany followed closely with 6.2 million visitors (up 1.9%), while the United Kingdom recorded 4.05 million visitors (up 2.25%).
Iran and Bulgaria also ranked among the top five, contributing 2.55 million and 2.31 million visitors, respectively. Combined, these five markets represented 45.5% of total foreign arrivals to Türkiye.
Antalya, located along Türkiye’s Mediterranean coast, remained the primary destination for Russian travelers. From January through October, the city hosted 3.89 million Russian tourists, marking a 3.3% increase over the same period in 2024. This equated to 60.8% of all Russian arrivals to Türkiye.
The increase in Antalya was partly attributed to a longer tourist season and the enduring appeal of all-inclusive holiday packages, which are popular among Russian vacationers.
However, other regions showed mixed results. The southwestern province of Mugla saw a 2.5% decline in Russian arrivals, totaling 398,621 and comprising just 6.23% of the national total. This shift was attributed to changes in consumer preference toward more affordable alternatives.
Istanbul, Türkiye’s largest city and main air transit hub, attracted approximately 1.7 million Russian visitors during the period, representing 26.6% of the total.
Other Russian arrivals entered via Trabzon, Izmir, Ankara, and land border crossings with Georgia, collectively accounting for 6.3% of the total flow.
October marked the peak month for Russian tourism in Türkiye in 2025. The surge in arrivals was attributed to the Mediterranean "velvet season," a period of mild weather and lower travel costs, particularly in Antalya.
Of the 5.68 million foreign visitors who entered the country that month, a 4.3% year-on-year increase, Russians numbered 865,472, up 11.4% from October 2024. This was the highest monthly increase recorded by any national group throughout the year.
Germany led the month with 983,346 arrivals, followed by Russia, the United Kingdom (510,408, down 3.8%), Bulgaria (272,125, down 1.8%), and Iran (268,102, down 4.7%).
As the fourth most visited country globally, Türkiye aims to attract 65 million visitors and generate $64 billion in tourism revenue by the end of 2025.
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