Turkey’s Tourism Revenue Surges to a Six-Month Record of $25.8 Billion in H1 2025

TASCA
Sep 8
2 min read

Turkey’s tourism sector achieved a historic milestone in the first half of 2025, recording tourism revenues of $25.8 billion, the highest six-month figure in the Republic’s history, announced Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy. tourexpi.com

During an event held at the Atatürk Cultural Center in Ankara, which evaluated mid-year tourism data and introduced the “A Festival of Anatolia” cultural initiative, Minister Ersoy emphasized the sector's shift toward qualitative growth and resilience since 2018—an approach that proved successful despite a challenging global environment. tourexpi.com

Visitor numbers also rose by 1 percent, reaching 26.389 million international arrivals in the first six months. April alone witnessed a significant boost with 4.8 million visitors, and the upward trend carried through May and June, maintaining levels above the previous year. tourexpi.com

Despite numerous regional and global disruptions—including the Istanbul earthquake on April 23, tensions between India and Pakistan, climate-driven anomalies, and the escalation of the Israel–Iran conflict between June 13–24—the tourism sector demonstrated notable recovery, supported by effective countermeasures. tourexpi.com

Both the average length of stay and per‑night revenue increased. The second quarter's tourism income rose from $15 billion to $16.3 billion, and the cumulative first‑half revenues climbed from $24 billion in H1 2024 to $25.8 billion in H1 2025. tourexpi.com

Looking ahead, Minister Ersoy shared the government’s updated annual target—$64 billion in tourism revenue—supported by the launching of “A Festival of Anatolia” across five provinces in Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia. Scheduled in Hakkari, Tunceli, Şırnak, Bingöl, and Bitlis, the initiative aims to highlight the region’s cultural richness and unlock its tourism potential. tourexpi.com

Additionally, data from TurkStat confirmed that tourism revenues in the second quarter reached $16.284 billion, with $16.095 billion stemming from tourists and $189 million from transfer passengers. Leisure, cultural, sporting, and entertainment tourism accounted for 71.1 percent of all visits. Package tours contributed 31 percent of total tourism income, while average nightly spending reached $110 for international tourists and $73 for Turkish citizens residing abroad. tourexpi.com

Outgoing tourism expenditures by Turkish citizens increased by 41.1 percent to $2.759 billion, even as the number of outbound travelers slightly declined by 0.5 percent to 2.948 million, with average spending per capita at $936. tourexpi.com