Türkiye draws over 50 million foreign tourists in 11 months

ISTANBUL

More than 50 million foreign tourists visited Türkiye in January-November, up 7.1 percent from the same period of 2023, according to data from the Culture and Tourism Ministry on Dec. 20.

Including Turks residing abroad, the number of total visitors reached 57.36 million people in the first 11 months of 2024.

In November alone, foreign tourist arrivals surged 8.25 percent year-on-year to 2.73 million, according to data from the Tourism Ministry.

The ministry said 6.5 million Russians visited Türkiye in the January-November period, up from 6.08 million a year prior. Russians accounted for 13 percent of all foreign tourist arrivals.

German nationals made up the second largest group at 6.37 million. This marked a 7 percent increase from January-November last year.

Britons came third at 4.34 million, a significant increase from the 3.7 million British holidaymakers Türkiye attracted in the same period of 2023.

From January to November, Türkiye also hosted more than 3 million Iranian travelers, a 32 percent year-on-year increase.

The number of Bulgarian national visiting the country rose by 2 percent annually in the first 11 months to 2.7 million, the ministry data showed.

Bulgarians travel to Türkiye mostly for shopping purposes, especially visiting the cities near the border.

Istanbul remained the most favored destination among international holidaymakers.

The mega city welcomed 17.2 million foreign tourists in the January-November period, accounting for 34.3 percent of all foreign arrivals.

The Mediterranean holiday hotspot Antalya received 15.7 million visitors in the first 11 months, while 4.94 million foreigners came to the northwestern province of Edirne.

Representatives from the local tourism industry recently said that the number of foreign tourists visiting Antalya, which is popular among Russian and German holidaymakers, already reached a record 17 million.

However, they warned that the tourism industry in Antalya may suffer setbacks in 2025 due to economic and political developments in Germany and Russia.

“The elections in February and troubles in the automotive industry in Germany may adversely impact tourist arrivals from this country...Likewise, the ongoing war [in Ukraine] and the economic situation in Russia creates some uncertainties,” said Recep Yavuz at the Antalya City Council earlier this month.