Türkiye aims to welcome 65 million visitors in 2025: Tourism Minister

Türkiye’s Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy stated that the country continues to set new records in tourism each year, remarking that the country has set goals of attracting 65 million visitors and generating $64 billion for 2025.

Speaking at the Berlin International Tourism Exchange (ITB) fair on Wednesday, Ersoy highlighted Türkiye’s strong tourism performance in 2023, emphasizing that the sector met its targets and continued to break records.

“As expected, Türkiye maintains its upward trajectory, achieving record-breaking tourism figures every year,” Ersoy said.

Ersoy noted that in 2023, Türkiye welcomed 6.7 million visitors from Russia, 6.6 million from Germany, and 4.4 million from the United Kingdom.

“This year, we expect this trend to continue, with Germany and Russia remaining in friendly competition,” he said. “Germany’s early booking data shows Türkiye as the top destination. Over the past two years, Türkiye has become Germans’ second-favorite travel destination after Spain, alongside Italy.”

Ersoy highlighted ongoing efforts to expand tourism across all 81 provinces and make it a year-round industry. He pointed to the rising number of Michelin-starred restaurants in Türkiye as part of these efforts.

He also emphasized Türkiye’s rich archaeological heritage, which sets it apart from other destinations. “Currently, there are 760 active archaeological excavation sites across Türkiye, and we aim to increase this number to 800 by 2026,” Ersoy said, noting that Türkiye leads the world in the number of ongoing excavations.

Eyeing Chinese and American markets

The minister underscored Türkiye’s efforts to diversify its tourism markets beyond Europe, identifying Asia and the Americas as key growth areas.

“In 2023, we recorded a significant increase in Chinese tourists, exceeding 60% growth,” he said. “Asia has become a high-potential market for Türkiye.”

He also highlighted the strong momentum in the U.S. market. “Last season, nearly 1.5 million American tourists visited Türkiye. We anticipate steady growth in this segment,” he added.

To achieve its long-term goal of attracting 100 million visitors and generating $100 billion in tourism revenue, Ersoy stressed the importance of increasing air travel connections, aiming for 85% of tourists to arrive via air routes.