Turkish Airlines targets 1M Japanese tourists for Türkiye by 2033

Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board Ahmet Bolat announced that the carrier aims to transport more than 1 million Japanese tourists to Türkiye by 2033.

Speaking during his visit to Japan for EXPO 2025, Bolat stated that Turkish Airlines is seeking to attract high-spending, quality tourists to Türkiye at a time when global travelers are generally postponing their vacation plans.

Bolat also outlined Turkish Airlines’ expansion goals in Japan, noting that the airline transported approximately 400,000 passengers from the country last year. He highlighted that Turkish Airlines operates daily flights from Istanbul to both Tokyo and Osaka.

“This year, we plan to carry 550,000 passengers from Japan, with 200,000 of them expected to be Japanese tourists. We have made a strong start to 2025, transporting 130,000 passengers in the first three months, marking a 19% increase compared to the same period last year. Our goal is to reach 1 million passengers from Japan by 2033,” he said.

Bolat emphasized that Turkish Airlines has set its focus on 11 countries across Asia and the Americas for the coming years, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, Taiwan, China, Indonesia, and South Korea.

He noted that 3.3 million tourists from these countries visited Türkiye last year, adding, “Our aim is to increase this number to 15 million and generate $45 billion in tourism revenue.”

Focus on Turkish cultural, gastronomy tourism

Bolat drew attention to the high economic value of tourists visiting Türkiye for cultural and gastronomic experiences, explaining that such tourists spend an average of $3,000 per person. In order to achieve the $45 billion target in qualified tourist revenues by 2033, Turkish Airlines plans to intensify efforts to promote Türkiye’s cultural heritage.

“We are explaining to foreigners why they should visit Türkiye. We highlight Anatolia’s deep-rooted place in the history of humanity. The first village, the first city, the first state, and the first empire traces are located in Anatolia. Türkiye currently has 22 sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, and we are working to increase this number,” he stated.

Bolat also pointed out the importance Japanese tourists place on safety and security, underlining that improvements in Türkiye’s security environment have had a direct positive impact on tourist arrivals.

“Japanese tourists are particularly sensitive about security. We believe that as we achieve our goal of a Türkiye free from terrorism, we will attract significantly more tourists from Japan, China, and South Korea,” he added.