12.12.2025 23:35
The Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, made a comprehensive presentation in the General Assembly of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, outlining the Ministry's efforts in line with the goals of the Turkey Century and its vision for 2026.
Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy made a comprehensive presentation in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey regarding the Ministry's efforts in line with Turkey's Century goals and the 2026 vision. In his speech, Ersoy highlighted the historic tourism data achieved despite international crises, the largest archaeological mobilization in the history of the Republic, and the global reach of the Turkey Culture Road Festival, stating, "We will reach our target of 64 billion dollars by the end of 2025."
RECORD IN TOURISM: THE HIGHEST INCOME IN THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF ALL TIME HAS BEEN BROKEN
Minister Ersoy stated that the highest income in tourism for the first nine months of all time was broken in 2025, announcing that tourism revenue reached 50 billion dollars with a 5.7% increase compared to the previous year during the January-September period.
Emphasizing that the qualified tourism target has yielded concrete results, Ersoy noted that the per capita nightly spending of foreign tourists increased from 83 dollars in 2017 to 116 dollars in 2025. He expressed that this increase is a clear indication of Turkey's strategy of "transitioning from quantity to quality."
Stating that Turkey is now a global tourism brand thanks to effective promotional policies, Ersoy noted that Turkey rose from 8th place in 2017 to 4th place in 2024 on the list of countries attracting the most tourists in the world. He emphasized that in the tourism revenue ranking, Turkey climbed from 15th place in 2017 to 7th place in 2024.
Expressing that these successes are reinforced by strong steps in sustainable tourism, Minister Ersoy stated that Turkey is now the leading and pioneering country in this field. He mentioned that approximately 19,000 accommodation facilities have received sustainable tourism certificates or documents through a program implemented in cooperation with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), making Turkey the country with the most GSTC-certified facilities in the world.
WE ARE THE WORLD LEADER IN ARCHAEOLOGY WITH 780 EXCAVATIONS AND RESEARCH PROJECTS
In his presentation, Minister Ersoy extensively covered the breakthroughs in the field of archaeology, emphasizing that the "Heritage for the Future" project has been implemented as the largest archaeological mobilization in the history of the Republic. He announced that Turkey is the world leader in archaeology with 780 excavations and research projects conducted by the end of 2025.
Stating that work is being carried out in 255 excavation sites across 65 provinces as of 2025, he noted that 29 excavations conducted by foreign delegations have been included in a 12-month excavation program, with a Turkish Coordinator Excavation Head assigned to each, thus hosting studies that illuminate human history with a local and national Turkish archaeology.
Minister Ersoy stated that Turkey is also the world leader in underwater archaeology, reporting that with 7 underwater archaeological excavations, Turkey ranks first in this field as well.
THE WORLD'S LARGEST CULTURE-ART EVENT: TURKEY CULTURE ROAD FESTIVAL
Minister Ersoy indicated that cultural and artistic investments are Turkey's new soft power, expressing that the Turkey Culture Road Festival has transformed into a strong model that brings culture and art to the center of cities. He stated that the festival is held in 20 cities as of 2025 and has become one of the largest culture-art events in the world.
During the past festival period, Ersoy noted that nearly 10,000 events were held over 180 days; more than 50,000 artists participated in a wide range of activities from concerts to exhibitions, workshops to performing arts, and the festival reached millions of visitors.
THE MOMENTUM IN CULTURE AND TOURISM WILL BE FURTHER STRENGTHENED IN 2026
Minister Ersoy concluded his presentation by stating that the momentum achieved in the fields of culture and tourism will be further strengthened with the 2026 budget. He emphasized that in the new period, sustainable, permanent, and long-term gains will be prioritized.
KARTALKAYA STATEMENT
Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy commented on the fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel in Kartalkaya Ski Resort, stating, "As the Ministry, we granted permission for an investigation regarding our bureaucrats long before the Council of State's decision. The claim that permission for an investigation was not granted does not reflect the truth."