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Türkiye continued to draw tourists throughout the summer 2026 season despite ongoing military conflicts in neighboring countries, said Firuz Baglikaya, chairman of the Turkish Travel Agencies Association (TURSAB).
"In such an environment, surrounded by this much conflict, Türkiye remains a place where people go on vacation, almost like an oasis, and it still preserves that status. This is genuinely significant," Baglikaya said.
Baglikaya made the comments to Anadolu Agency in Bursa, an industrial city roughly 90 kilometers (56 miles) south of Istanbul across the Sea of Marmara, at a tourism summit.
He said Russia, Germany and the United Kingdom remain Türkiye's main source markets, though the country draws visitors from around the world.
Baglikaya said Türkiye offers tourism products across multiple sectors, including gastronomy, business tourism, coastal vacations and cultural tourism.
He said each region has distinct cultural and touristic offerings that are being developed alongside the country's coastal tourism, without diminishing its capacity.
He said health tourism has grown significantly over the past eight to ten years and continues to expand successfully, while congress and convention tourism is also growing incrementally.
Baglikaya said spending patterns differ between beach tourists and business travelers, and that diversifying across these segments strengthens revenue.
Baglikaya added that TURSAB's Digital Verification System (DDS) has helped curb unlicensed and undocumented tourism activity, and said consumers purchasing travel packages should use the system to verify providers.
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