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Türkiye generated $25.6 billion in tourism revenue with record-breaking visitor arrivals of 26.39 million during the first half of 2025, reflecting a modest 1% increase compared to the same period in 2024, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said on Thursday.
Speaking at the press conference for the “A Festival of Anatolia” initiative, held at the Ataturk Cultural Center in Istanbul, Minister Ersoy noted that the limited growth was influenced by global and regional disruptions affecting travel confidence.
Ersoy underlined that the Israel-Iran conflict in June—combined with concerns about potential nuclear facility strikes and the risk of radioactive fallout—led to international booking hesitations.
The April 23 Istanbul earthquake, the April 24 India-Pakistan clashes, and global climate shifts were also noted as influential factors. Wildfires were also mentioned during the presentation but were not further elaborated on during the briefing.
Despite these hurdles, Russia, Germany, and the United Kingdom were the top three source markets for Türkiye in the first half of 2025, sending 2.61 million, 2.42 million, and 1.75 million travelers, respectively.
Average length of stay continued to decline, reflecting a global pattern. In the first six months of 2025, visitors spent an average of 10 nights in Türkiye, slightly down from 10.1 nights in 2024.
Quarter-by-quarter data shows the second quarter had the shortest stays at 9.4 nights. The year-end projection now stands at 10.3 nights, lower than last year’s 10.7 nights.
While stays shortened, spending per night rose. In the first quarter of 2025, per capita nightly spending reached $92.9, climbing further to $101.3 in the second quarter. This pushed the first-half average to $101 per night, an improvement from 2024 levels.
Breaking the figures down, foreign tourists spent $121 per night on average, up 10% from the previous year. Turkish citizens residing abroad—who are counted as international visitors—spent $61 per night, 7% higher than last year. The overall rise in spending reached 9%, helping offset the effect of shorter stays.
Minister Ersoy stated that Türkiye is steadily advancing toward its full-year tourism revenue target of $64 billion, with a goal of welcoming 65 million visitors.
"In summary, we are moving step by step toward our annual goal," he said.
Looking ahead, Ersoy expressed optimism for the remainder of the year. “We expect reservations in the September, October, and November period to exceed seasonal norms,” he noted, adding, “and we see that the season will be more active during those dates.”
In 2024, Türkiye welcomed over 62 million visitors, generating a record $61.1 billion in tourism revenue and overtaking Italy to rank fourth on the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)'s list of most-visited countries.
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