Türkiye remains top destination for Russian tourists in 2024

Türkiye topped the list of Russian tourist destinations in 2024, according to data released Thursday by Russia’s Association of Tour Operators.

Well over one-third of Russian tourists, or 38.5%, chose to travel to Türkiye in 2024.

Türkiye was followed by the United Arab Emirates with an 11.4% share, China with 10.9%, Thailand with 10%, and Egypt with 8.5%.

The number of Russian tourists who traveled to Türkiye last year rose to 6.7 million, up 6.3% from 2023.

The total number of Russian tourists traveling abroad also climbed to 17.4 million last year, shooting up 15.4% from the previous year.

Türkiye hosted 52.6 million international tourists in 2024

In 2024, Türkiye hosted 52.6 million international tourists, reflecting a 7% increase from the previous year. This tourism growth contributed to a record-breaking revenue of $61.1 billion, according to official data released on Friday.

Istanbul, Türkiye’s most populous city, remained the leading destination for international visitors, attracting 18.6 million tourists in 2024.

The well-known resort city of Antalya, located on the Turkish Riviera, ranked second, welcoming 15.9 million foreign visitors.

The northwestern province of Edirne, which borders both Bulgaria and Greece, ranked third with 4.8 million visitors, while the Aegean province of Mugla attracted 3.7 million tourists.

Russian tourists top the list

• Russians accounted for 12.8% of all foreign arrivals, with 6.7 million visitors, marking a 6% increase compared to the previous year.
• Germans followed with 6.6 million visitors, reflecting 6.9% year-on-year growth.
• Britons totaled 4.4 million visitors, showing a 16.7% increase.
• Iranians represented 3.2 million visitors, with a remarkable 30.9% rise.
• Bulgarians accounted for 2.9 million visitors, showing a slight increase of 0.9%.

Data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) revealed that Turkiye’s tourism revenue surged by 18.3% year-on-year, reaching a historic high of $61.1 billion in 2024.