10.02.2026 11:50
Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, in his speech at the TIF 2026 - Tourism Investment Forum held in Istanbul, evaluated Turkey's record achievements in tourism, investment vision, and 2026 targets, stating, "Turkey's tourism revenue target for 2026 is 68 billion dollars."
The Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, met with industry representatives and investors at the TIF 2026 - Tourism Investment Forum organized by the Turkish Tourism Investors Association in Istanbul. Ersoy stated that the forum has become an important meeting point not only for Turkey but also for the global tourism economy, with increasing international participation and investment focus each year, expressing that this platform provides a strong ground for new investments, strategic partnerships, and long-term collaborations.
"TURKEY HAS GAINED A STRONG REFLEX IN CRISIS MANAGEMENT"
Pointing out that the world is going through a period of intensified economic, political, and geopolitical uncertainties, Ersoy said that Turkey continues on its path with determination under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Emphasizing that Turkey has gained a strong reflex and serious institutional experience in managing crises, Ersoy noted that this resilience is directly reflected in the tourism sector and investment environment. He stated that since they took office, they have approached tourism not only with numbers but also with a focus on vision, diversity, and quality, explaining that they have expanded Turkish tourism by going beyond the sun-sea-sand understanding and incorporating areas such as cultural and faith tourism, archaeology, nature and ecotourism, gastronomy, health and thermal tourism, congress and fairs, cruise, and winter tourism.
"TURKISH TOURISM HAS BEEN PROMOTED TO THE FIRST LEAGUE"
Ersoy stated that along with product diversity, market diversity has also been increased, and comprehensive promotional activities have been carried out in target countries, extending from television to digital platforms and social media. He mentioned that these efforts have resulted in attracting qualified tourists and have elevated Turkish tourism to the first league, noting that they are making steady progress towards the goal of spreading tourism across 12 months and 81 provinces with pioneering and exemplary success stories and records. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization data, Ersoy stated that Turkey ranked 8th among the countries hosting the most tourists in the world in 2017, and has risen to 4th place by 2024, while in tourism revenues, it has climbed from 15th to 7th place during the same period.
2026 TARGET: 68 BILLION DOLLARS
Ersoy stated that tourism revenue is expected to reach 65 billion 231 million dollars in 2025, marking the highest level in the history of the Republic. He continued his speech as follows:
"This figure represents a 109% increase compared to 2017. Again, in 2025, our total number of visitors was recorded as 63 million 941 thousand people; a new record has been achieved in visitor numbers as well as in tourism revenue. The average spending per night for foreign tourists is expected to rise to 114 dollars in 2025. This increase is very important in terms of demonstrating the results of our qualified tourism and high value-added investment strategy. All this data clearly shows the strong response of the projects we have implemented in line with our tourism vision, indicating that Turkey has become a tourism and investment country not only regionally but also globally."
Emphasizing that Turkey has now become a key player in global tourism policies, Ersoy stated that work has begun towards the goal of 68 billion dollars in tourism revenue for 2026. He pointed out that strong promotion and communication strategies are one of the indispensable elements of tourism, stating that approximately 200 countries have been targeted for advertising, promotion, and marketing activities through the Turkey Tourism Promotion and Development Agency established in 2019, saying, "As I have stated before, this has been the most intense and effective promotional movement in the tourism world."
Ersoy noted that advertisements have been featured on global channels such as CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera, and Bloomberg, and promotions have also been conducted on national television channels in 39 countries. He expressed that the GoTurkey platform has transformed into a global promotional medium broadcasting in 10 languages, and on social media, Turkey ranks first in the world on YouTube and second on Instagram.
Ersoy stated, "The total number of our followers across all our social media accounts has reached 21.9 million." He explained that they have implemented a "mini-series" strategy in promotion and mentioned that new projects are on the way.
EMPHASIS ON GASTRONOMY AND SUSTAINABILITY
Ersoy noted that gastronomy is one of the priority areas in promotional activities, stating that the Michelin Guide's journey in Turkey began with Istanbul and then expanded to Izmir, Bodrum, Muğla, and Cappadocia. He announced that the number of restaurants included in the guide across Turkey has reached 171, with 17 of them being starred restaurants.
In the field of sustainability, Ersoy stated that approximately 18,000 accommodation facilities have been certified as part of the collaboration with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, emphasizing that Turkey is among the leading countries in this area.
CULTURAL HERITAGE AND MUSEUM INVESTMENTS
Ersoy, who stated, "Our culture-tourism investments have become an ecosystem that supports and strengthens each other," recorded the following:
"With our Future Heritage Project, we transitioned to a 12-month excavation program as of 2018. While taking the first step of the Future Heritage Project with the Ancient City of Ephesus in the 100th year of our Republic, we continued our work in 255 excavation sites last year with this project. We made a record-level increase in the resources allocated to excavation sites within the scope of the Future Heritage Project.
We are very pleased to see the results of all the steps we have taken. With the archaeological studies conducted in 2025, we obtained over 15,000 archaeological finds. In a geography with a rich history like Anatolia, museums and archaeological sites are of great importance both for preserving our country's heritage and for our tourism. With the meticulous efforts of our Ministry, we added the Ancient City of Sardis and the Bintepeler Lydia Tumuli to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2025, increasing our number of sites to 22. Additionally, we are successfully continuing our role as a member of the World Heritage Committee, having been elected with the highest votes during the 24th General Assembly of State Parties session. "
Last year, Ersoy reported that 34 million 836 thousand people visited museums and archaeological sites, and that approximately 600 thousand visitors were reached through night museum practices. He stated that Haydarpaşa and Sirkeci Train Stations would be transformed into a cultural-art island for the city, that Diyarbakır Prison would be converted into a cultural center, and that the museums in Antalya and Hatay would also be renewed.
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