Istanbul eyes 20 million tourists

ISTANBUL

Istanbul is setting a higher target in tourism, aiming to welcome 20 million foreign visitors, says Firuz Bağlıkaya, the president of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB).

Tourists from more than 200 countries visit the city, Bağlıkaya said, adding that most of the international holidaymakers came from Russia, Germany, Iran, the United States, the United Kingdom, Iran, Saudi Arabia, France and Italy last year.

“We estimate that more than 17 million tourists visited the city in 2023,” he said in a statement.

According to the latest official data, foreign tourist arrivals in Istanbul increased by 9 percent in January-November 2023 from the same period of 2022 to more than 16 million people.

“Istanbul is the city of culture, arts and gastronomy, attracting a large number of visitors. Some 76 restaurants in the city are listed in the Michelin Guide,” he said, noting that in 2022, 86 museums in Istanbul received 5.8 million visits.

Bağlıkaya also said that in the first 11 months of last year, 219 cruise ships visited Istanbul, bringing more than 392,000 visitors.

“Istanbul has a huge potential in cruise tourism. As TÜRSAB, we are working on projects to realize this potential. For instance, we carry cruise passengers who arrive at the port directly to the historical peninsula with the tram to avoid the traffic jam. This way, visitors save time.”

Istanbul is also an important hub for medical tourism, according to Bağlıkaya.

“There are 188 hospitals, 79 medical centers and 435 clinics and outpatient clinics in the city with certificates from the Health Ministry for medical tourism. The number of travel agencies providing services in the field of health tourism has increased to 590,” he furthered.