Türkiye increased foreign tourist arrivals by 21% between 2019 and 2025, ranking fourth among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries in tourism growth during this period.
International tourist arrivals across OECD member nations reached a record 847 million in 2025, representing a 3.4% increase from 2024 and continuing the recovery following an 8.1% rise in 2024, according to the OECD’s Tourism Trends and Policies 2026 report published mid-2026.
Tourism Growth Ranking Among OECD Countries
The OECD report identified Japan as the top-performing country with a 34% increase in international arrivals between 2019 and 2025. Norway followed with 28% growth, Denmark with 22%, and Türkiye
with 21%, placing Türkiye fourth among member states with the strongest expansion in tourism demand post-pandemic.
Türkiye’s Record Visitor Numbers and Revenue Targets
Türkiye welcomed a record 52.78 million foreign tourists in 2025, with total visitor numbers reaching 63.94 million. Tourism revenues rose 6.8% to $65.23 billion in 2025, exceeding the government’s Medium-Term Program target of $64 billion. The Turkish government aims for $68 billion in tourism revenue in 2026.
Tourism contributes approximately 10% to Türkiye’s gross domestic product and accounts for about 5% of total employment. The sector supports efforts to reverse the country’s chronic current account deficit.
Global Challenges Affecting Tourism Trends
The OECD report highlighted ongoing challenges including geopolitical
tensions, conflicts in the Middle East, shifting traveler preferences, and extreme weather events influencing global tourism flows. Security concerns, rising travel costs, and uncertainties around cancellations have encouraged travelers to favor familiar and lower-cost destinations.
Official Commentary on Türkiye’s Tourism Sector
Firuz Bağlıkaya, chair of the Association of Travel Agencies of Türkiye (TÜRSAB), emphasized Türkiye’s robust tourism ecosystem that has managed multiple global and regional crises effectively.
“Türkiye has a strong tourism ecosystem that has successfully managed numerous global and regional crises,” Bağlıkaya said.
He noted the need to evaluate future growth by metrics beyond visitor numbers, including spending per tourist, length of stay, sustainability of
revenues, and overall economic contribution. Bağlıkaya stressed expanding higher-value tourism segments such as cultural, gastronomic, health, convention, sports, faith-based, cruise, and rural tourism to increase visitor spending throughout the year.
Bağlıkaya mentioned cruise tourism as one of the highest spending segments and suggested better integration of cruise ports with Istanbul Airport, identified as one of the world’s leading aviation hubs, to enhance the sector’s value.
