Turkish tourism kicks off season early in 2025 with Eid-al-Fitr holidays, eyeing $65B target

Türkiye launched its tourism season earlier than usual in 2025, coinciding with Ramadan Bayram — also known as Eid al-Fitr — as part of efforts to reach its ambitious $65 billion tourism revenue target for the year, the head of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TURSAB), Firuz Baglikaya, said on Sunday.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Baglikaya emphasized that Türkiye ranks among the world’s top tourism destinations and underlined the sector’s commitment to maintaining this position through sustainable practices. “There’s no market where we expect low demand—growth continues steadily across all regions,” he said.

He stated that the global increase in tourist numbers and tourism revenues is also reflected in Türkiye, highlighting the country’s ongoing efforts to maintain its image as a safe and reliable destination.

‘We will continue breaking records in 2025’

Baglikaya identified Germany, Russia, and the United Kingdom as Türkiye’s primary tourism markets, adding that maintaining and strengthening strong ties with these countries remains a top priority.

He also pointed to Central European countries as having high potential, particularly for cultural and historical tourism, and said that significant tourist flows are expected from these regions.

“Tourism is indispensable for Türkiye — not just in terms of foreign currency income, but also for employment and international visibility,” Baglikaya said. “We will continue breaking records in 2025.”

Touching on this year’s tourism income targets, Baglikaya stressed that the sector aims for a 10% increase over 2024’s figures of $60 billion. “Our goal for 2025 is to reach $65 billion. I don’t foresee any surprises — we are working with full determination to meet this goal,” he added.

He also drew attention to evolving tourism trends and changing visitor expectations, noting that the industry is working to diversify Türkiye’s tourism offerings in response.