30.10.2026 11:30
Despite regional crises and rising costs, Turkey earned 51 billion 278 million dollars in tourism revenue in the first nine months of 2026, breaking the highest tourism record in the history of the Republic both in the third quarter and in the nine-month total.
In a period when regional conflicts, disruptions in air transport, and rising travel costs affected international tourism mobility, Türkiye completed the third quarter with tourism revenue of 25 billion 526 million dollars. While revenue for the first nine months reached 51 billion 278 million dollars, the highest tourism revenue in the history of the Republic was achieved both in the third quarter and in the nine-month period. Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy stated that they have seen the results of efforts carried out to increase product and market diversity, improve promotional power, and strengthen the sector's resilience against crises.
Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy shared the tourism results for the third quarter and first nine months of 2026 with the public at a press conference held at the Istanbul Atatürk Cultural Center. Ersoy evaluated, along with tourism data, the effects of global and regional developments on the sector, international promotional efforts, and the priorities for the upcoming period.
Türkiye's third-quarter tourism revenue increased by 5 percent compared with the same period last year, reaching 25 billion 526 million dollars. In the January-September period, tourism revenue reached 51 billion 278 million dollars with an increase of 2.4 percent. Thus, a record level was reached both in the third quarter and in the total revenue for the first nine months.
PER CAPITA OVERNIGHT SPENDING INCREASED BY 4.6 PERCENT In the first nine months, average per capita overnight spending for all visitors increased by 4.6 percent compared with the same period last year, reaching 107.7 dollars. In the third quarter, per capita overnight spending was 106.9 dollars. In the January-September period, the average per capita overnight spending of foreign visitors was 119.9 dollars, while that of citizens residing abroad was 72.2 dollars.
49 MILLION 132 THOUSAND VISITORS IN NINE MONTHS Türkiye hosted 23 million 374 thousand visitors in the third quarter of 2026. The total number of visitors hosted in the first nine months of the year was 49 million 132 thousand. In the January-September period, the Russian Federation, Germany, and the United Kingdom ranked in the top three among the countries sending the most visitors to Türkiye. 5.70 million visitors came from the Russian Federation, 5.17 million from Germany, and 3.20 million from the United Kingdom. The average length of stay of visitors was 10.69 nights in the third quarter and 10.34 nights in the first nine months.
“TÜRKİYE STANDS OUT AS AN ISLAND OF STABILITY” Minister Ersoy drew attention to the fact that since the beginning of the year, a sensitive period affecting international travel mobility has been experienced. He stated that conflicts in the region, rising tensions at various points, and restrictions on the use of airspace have caused disruptions in international transport networks. Expressing that the suspension of flights on some routes, changes in flight routes, and the difficulty of connecting travel have affected tourism mobility, Ersoy said that rising air transport costs, along with energy prices, have also increased pressure on travel demand.
Emphasizing that these developments have had an impact over a wide area, from travel decisions to the capacity planning of airline companies and the programs of tour operators, Ersoy spoke as follows: "While all these developments are taking place in our region, Türkiye stands out as an island of stability with its strong state structure, diplomatic capacity, and the efforts carried out under the leadership of our President for peace and stability. With our international transport connections, tourism infrastructure, and service quality, we continue to host our guests from all over the world. "
PRODUCT AND MARKET DIVERSITY AGAINST CRISES Noting that Türkiye has also faced crises in the past and has experienced the effects of these crises on tourism, Ersoy explained that starting from 2018 they began implementing steps to strengthen the sector's resilience against crises.
Recording that with the establishment of the Turkish Tourism Promotion and Development Agency they brought promotional activities into a continuous and systematic structure, Ersoy stated that expanding source markets and diversifying tourism products form the basis of this approach.
Stating that the options offered in different fields, from culture and archaeology to gastronomy, from sports to health, from congress tourism to nature tourism, increase the ability to respond to changing demand, Ersoy said the following:
"When mobility in one market slows down, we can concentrate our efforts in other markets and replan our promotional and marketing activities according to developments. This is exactly what we mean by gaining resilience. Seeing risks in advance, making preparations to limit their effects, and being able to take the needed steps in time. "
7.1 BILLION IMPRESSIONS IN 74 COUNTRIES Minister Ersoy reported that through the Turkish Tourism Promotion and Development Agency, they continue promotional activities without interruption across a wide area, from television to digital platforms, from outdoor media to global travel platforms.
Expressing that they maintained Türkiye's visibility in international broadcasting organizations such as CNN, BBC, Bloomberg, Euronews, Al Jazeera, and Eurosport, Ersoy announced that 7.1 billion impressions were reached in 74 countries through digital campaigns.
Stating that they also carried the global influence of Turkish TV series into tourism promotion, Ersoy said that they expanded the mini-series model with new productions focusing on Cappadocia, Bodrum, the Southeast, İzmir, Ankara and surrounding provinces, and the Eastern Black Sea. Ersoy noted that ten mini-series in the 2025–2026 period achieved a total of 10.5 billion impressions.
NEW REASONS TO VISIT THROUGH CULTURE, ARCHAEOLOGY, AND ART Stating that one of the important ways to increase resilience in tourism is to multiply the options offered to visitors, Ersoy cited the Legacy to the Future project, night museum experiences, and the Türkiye Culture Route Festival as concrete examples of this approach.
Expressing that with Legacy to the Future they advanced excavation and restoration work while also improving visiting opportunities at archaeological sites, Ersoy explained that with night museum experiences they offer the opportunity to experience cultural heritage at different times of the day, and with the Türkiye Culture Route Festival they bring together the cultural and artistic life of cities with tourism mobility.
Emphasizing that these efforts create new reasons to visit different destinations, Ersoy continued as follows:
"Our goal is to spread demand for our country across our 81 provinces and throughout the entire year. We want our visitors to get to know more of our cities, stay longer, and benefit from the different experiences our country offers. We also aim for the economic gain this provides to be reflected more broadly in our local businesses, tradespeople and employment. "
SUPPORT FOR THE SECTOR AND CLOSE COORDINATION IN TRANSPORTATION Stating that they address promotional and product development efforts together with transportation opportunities, Ersoy said they are in close contact with the airline sector, primarily Turkish Airlines, and with tour operators. He noted that they take market-oriented steps by jointly evaluating reservation trends, flight planning and capacity needs.
Expressing that they stand by the sector with the Tourism Support Package implemented under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, along with employment support and the reduction in accommodation tax, Ersoy stated that they aim to make it easier for businesses to access finance, to help them protect their employment and to manage this period without compromising service quality.
Emphasizing that coordination between the public and private sectors enables a rapid response to developments, Ersoy said they will continue this cooperation in the coming period.
FOCUS WILL BE ON NEW MARKETS AND DIRECT FLIGHTS Minister Ersoy announced that in the coming period, while maintaining their position in main markets, they will intensify efforts in markets with high growth potential, particularly America, Canada, Asia, Africa and Australia.
Stating that they will continue their collaborations with airlines and tour operators with the aim of maintaining existing capacity, creating new direct flights and additional seat capacity, Ersoy noted that they will focus on efforts that convert promotional activities into reservations and sales. Also stating that they will make more effective use of data and artificial intelligence applications, Ersoy said they will use resources in the most efficient way by closely monitoring demand in markets, changes in visitor preferences and the results of campaigns.
Ersoy concluded his assessment with the following words: "We are seeing today the results of the work we have carried out to increase product and market diversity, improve our promotional strength and strengthen our sector's resilience against crises. We trust in Turkey’s tourism potential, our sector’s experience and our power to act together. "
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