Tourism in Turkey
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/Pamukkale_30.jpg/290px-Pamukkale_30.jpg)
Tourism in Turkey is focused largely on a variety of historical sites, and on seaside resorts along its Aegean and Mediterranean Sea coasts. Turkey has also become a popular destination for culture, spa, and health care.[1] Since 2021, Turkey is the fourth most visited country in the world.[2]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Tourism_in_Turkey.svg/220px-Tourism_in_Turkey.svg.png)
At its height in 2019, Turkey attracted around 51 million foreign tourists,[3][4] The total number fluctuated between around 41 million in 2015, and around 30 million in 2016.[5][6] However, recovery began in 2017, with the number of foreign visitors increasing to 37.9 million, and in 2018 to 46.1 million visitors.[7][8][9]
Destinations
Istanbul
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Dolmabahce_Tor-2008-31-07.jpg/220px-Dolmabahce_Tor-2008-31-07.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/Istanbul_asv2020-02_img60_Ortak%C3%B6y_Mosque.jpg/220px-Istanbul_asv2020-02_img60_Ortak%C3%B6y_Mosque.jpg)
In January 2013, the Turkish government announced that it would build the world's largest airport in Istanbul. The operation has an invested 7-billion euros and was planned to have the first part of a four-part plan completed by 2017.[10]
As a consequence of the continuous fall in tourism to Turkey in recent years, as of October 2016 in Istanbul's famous bazaar once crowded shopping streets are not as crowded as before, "the streams of tourists who used to visit the market each day have trickled to a halt".[5] The number of foreign tourists visiting Istanbul declined to 9.2 million in 2016, a 26 percent decrease compared to 2015.[11]
Ankara
Ankara is the country's capital and second most populated city.
Izmir
Izmir is a city with historical and geopolitical importance in ancient civilizations such as Macedonia, Persia, Lydia, and the Ottomans.[15] The city has a memorable history in the early years of Turkey as it was the main city that was affected by the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922).[16] Izmir is home to many ancient cities such as Ephesus, Pergamon, and Klazomenai.[17] Besides historical significance, Izmir also possesses many locations for coastal tourism for international travelers. Frequently visited regions that have tourist beaches for local and international tourists would be Çeşme, Mordoğan, and Foça.[18][19]
Other destinations
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/%C3%96l%C3%BCdeniz_on_the_Turquoise_Coast%2C_Turkey.jpg/220px-%C3%96l%C3%BCdeniz_on_the_Turquoise_Coast%2C_Turkey.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/71/Kelebekler_Vadisi.jpg/220px-Kelebekler_Vadisi.jpg)
Beach vacations and
Attractions elsewhere in the country include the sites of
One of the most important and famous cities in the east and southeast of Turkey is called Diyarbakır. This city is considered one of the important options for traveling to the east of Turkey due to its numerous historical, religious and cultural places. For researchers who are interested in cultural studies, this city is a favorable option for study and research due to the accommodation of different ethnic groups (Kurds, Turks, Arabs, Assyrians, Armenians) and religious groups (Muslims, Christians). Due to the civil wars between the PKK group and the central government of Turkey in the 90's, the number of tourists in this region decreased. With the beginning of the 21st century and after the establishment of relative peace and security in these areas, tourism has been increasing again in these areas.[27]
Gallipoli and Anzac Cove – a small cove on the Gallipoli peninsula, which became known as the site of World War I landing of the ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) on 25 April 1915. Following the landing at Anzac Cove, the beach became the main base for the Australian and New Zealand troops for the eight months of the Gallipoli campaign.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/20180107_Safranbolu_1945_%2839101010504%29.jpg/220px-20180107_Safranbolu_1945_%2839101010504%29.jpg)
As of 2023, Turkey hosts 21 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 19 cultural and 2 mixed.[29]
Turkey's World Heritage Sites, as per their official UNESCO names, are as follows:
- Aphrodisias
- Archaeological Site of Ani
- Archaeological Site of Troy
- Arslantepe Mound
- Bursa and Cumalıkızık: the Birth of the Ottoman Empire
- City of Safranbolu
- Diyarbakır Fortress and Hevsel GardensCultural Landscape
- Ephesus
- Gordion
- Göbekli Tepe
- Göreme National Parkand the Rock Sites of Cappadocia
- Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği
- Hattusha: the Hittite Capital
- Hierapolis-Pamukkale
- Historic Areas of Istanbul
- Nemrut Dağ
- Neolithic Site of Çatalhöyük
- Pergamon and its Multi-Layered Cultural Landscape
- Selimiye Mosque and its Social Complex
- Wooden Hypostyle Mosques of Medieval Anatolia
- Xanthos-Letoon
Medical tourism
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Ac%C4%B1bademHospitalAltunizade_%281%29.jpg/220px-Ac%C4%B1bademHospitalAltunizade_%281%29.jpg)
An emerging branch of tourism in Turkey is medical tourism. Commonly performed medical procedures are hair transplant operations, rhinoplasty and cosmetic dentistry as it draws in thousands of foreigner tourists every year.[30][31] In 2021, the revenue generated from medical tourism was given as $1.05 billion with 642,000 people that visited for the purpose of getting medical service.[32] This is due to Turkey offering high-quality clinics for affordable pricing compared to the rest of Europe and its central location between Asia and Europe.[33] Other reasons for the high demand for healthcare in Turkey are foreigners having easy visa procedures and immediate scheduling for operations.[1]
Development of tourism
Most tourist arrivals in Turkey come from the following countries:[34][35][9][36][37]
Country | 4/2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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1,122,930 | 6,193,259 | 5,679,194 | 3,085,215 | 1,118,932 | 5,027,472 | 4,512,360 |
![]() |
1,078,294 | 6,313,675 | 5,232,611 | 4,694,422 | 2,128,758 | 7,017,657 | 5,964,631 |
![]() |
946,437 | 2,504,494 | 2,331,076 | 9,618 | 385,762 | 2,102,890 | 2,001,744 |
![]() |
858,098 | 2,893,092 | 2,882,512 | 1,402,795 | 1,242,961 | 2,713,464 | 2,386,885 |
![]() |
658,999 | 3,800,922 | 3,370,739 | 392,746 | 820,709 | 2,562,064 | 2,254,871 |
![]() |
449,070 | 1,633,977 | 1,514,813 | 291,852 | 410,501 | 1,995,254 | 2,069,392 |
![]() |
259,763 | 1,232,220 | 1,244,756 | 645,601 | 271,526 | 1,117,290 | 1,013,642 |
![]() |
258,741 | 855,445 | 683,834 | 470,618 | 236,797 | 901,723 | 858,506 |
![]() |
245,858 | 1,334,337 | 1,013,478 | 371,759 | 148,937 | 578,074 | 448,327 |
![]() |
244,077 | 1,031,824 | 986,090 | 621,493 | 311,708 | 875,957 | 731,379 |
![]() |
229,180 | 1,051,721 | 1,208,895 | 836,624 | 387,587 | 1,374,896 | 1,172,896 |
![]() |
225,174 | 686,480 | 569,795 | 157,723 | 136,305 | 836,882 | 686,891 |
![]() |
203,795 | 990,005 | 886,555 | 496,178 | 269,076 | 763,320 | 641,484 |
![]() |
197,375 | 839,729 | 675,467 | 2,060,008 | 997,652 | 1,547,996 | 1,386,934 |
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166,145 | 1,539,123 | 1,135,903 | 585,076 | 145,908 | 880,839 | 646,365 |
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143,620 | 820,683 | 497,914 | 10,083 | 67,490 | 564,816 | 747,233 |
![]() |
142,867 | 602,176 | 420,661 | 116,806 | 72,619 | 377,011 | 284,195 |
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141,166 | 826,319 | 712,136 | 366,076 | 137,213 | 455,724 | 426,916 |
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139,001 | 470,644 | 419,673 | 272,604 | 102,598 | 252,138 | 241,235 |
![]() |
115,568 | 596,355 | 596,173 | 339,529 | 138,729 | 557,435 | 511,559 |
![]() |
111,919 | 248,119 | 89,515 | 33,641 | 40,264 | 426,344 | 394,109 |
![]() |
86,880 | 292,505 | 210,478 | 48,827 | 50,121 | 295,512 | 288,207 |
![]() |
86,292 | 324,690 | 298,165 | 104,848 | 54,381 | 257,342 | 178,018 |
![]() |
85,588 | 496,482 | 454,638 | 284,095 | 112,126 | 401,475 | 353,628 |
![]() |
84,522 | 274,159 | 231,579 | 52,651 | 44,707 | 230,131 | 147,127 |
![]() |
82,906 | 390,044 | 382,835 | 219,591 | 127,643 | 311,107 | 269,649 |
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78,465 | 178,800 | 152,995 | 49,319 | 36,690 | 127,149 | 119,337 |
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70,860 | 215,137 | 182,945 | 68,353 | 59,808 | 268,341 | 266,859 |
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70,430 | 311,738 | 357,787 | 238,852 | 129,284 | 282,347 | 225,312 |
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70,383 | 364,984 | 415,696 | 192,872 | 93,703 | 444,285 | 384,397 |
![]() |
66,126 | 363,070 | 480,123 | 246,249 | 120,221 | 374,191 | 298,620 |
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65,317 | 257,781 | 272,844 | 191,768 | 89,337 | 376,721 | 338,837 |
![]() |
64,928 | 262,124 | 251,708 | 121,333 | 67,775 | 234,264 | 176,538 |
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64,888 | 194,351 | 220,179 | 197,983 | 107,251 | 259,243 | 188,312 |
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62,285 | 384,680 | 494,629 | 326,633 | 93,750 | 474,874 | 406,469 |
![]() |
59,113 | 159,039 | 99,869 | 15,206 | 36,636 | 212,970 | 159,354 |
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56,286 | 187,053 | 227,850 | 124,483 | 68,936 | 177,655 | 148,943 |
![]() |
55,287 | 248,868 | 197,416 | 72,034 | 34,210 | 139,164 | 108,272 |
![]() |
54,292 | 251,066 | 266,184 | 182,045 | 115,483 | 222,862 | 209,519 |
![]() |
54,220 | 319,835 | 356,127 | 111,499 | 44,694 | 335,877 | 326,278 |
![]() |
52,943 | 169,906 | 147,487 | 102,840 | 52,142 | 121,364 | 114,926 |
![]() |
50,399 | 176,547 | 206,714 | 126,970 | 57,563 | 172,587 | 142,372 |
![]() |
48,577 | 174,681 | 193,823 | 145,931 | 70,462 | 152,048 | 139,500 |
![]() |
47,357 | 309,216 | 239,966 | 220,932 | 106,426 | 258,419 | 245,254 |
![]() |
45,003 | 277,810 | 251,619 | 114,227 | 14,194 | 229,704 | 199,371 |
![]() |
43,074 | 120,928 | 45,249 | 18,979 | 43,236 | 297,706 | 252,911 |
![]() |
40,785 | 288,377 | 274,257 | 192,441 | 109,137 | 198,867 | 194,268 |
![]() |
39,262 | 177,893 | 200,698 | 131,347 | 61,651 | 144,445 | 120,480 |
![]() |
37,550 | 203,325 | 191,789 | 54,633 | 25,100 | 208,330 | 161,789 |
![]() |
36,540 | 222,327 | 165,842 | 76,257 | 16,563 | 149,523 | 123,448 |
![]() |
35,689 | 142,482 | 145,032 | 89,748 | 49,667 | 134,869 | 125,935 |
![]() |
34,461 | 163,165 | 136,608 | 36,947 | 26,176 | 96,886 | 71,221 |
![]() |
34,107 | 95,444 | 89,766 | 9,618 | 17,892 | 114,214 | 95,591 |
![]() |
33,538 | 78,782 | 30,610 | 7,153 | 19,122 | 103,320 | 81,931 |
![]() |
32,910 | 140,388 | 173,621 | 90,681 | 51,326 | 130,736 | 113,579 |
![]() |
32,550 | 120,347 | 97,954 | 55,397 | 48,440 | 139,126 | 95,068 |
![]() |
28.593 | 192,770 | 118,847 | 15,674 | 15,109 | 120,837 | 96,488 |
![]() |
28,593 | 155,155 | 114,267 | 34,705 | 12,775 | 66,557 | 36,737 |
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26,589 | 384,158 | 295,454 | 89,734 | 15,642 | 311,359 | 228,251 |
![]() |
26,358 | 106,717 | 84,582 | 17,788 | 22,722 | 101,164 | 78,691 |
![]() |
23,645 | 117,123 | 117,281 | 32,809 | 15,003 | 135,192 | 128,860 |
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20,609 | 120,819 | 146,438 | 52,587 | 3,772 | 37,500 | 43,292 |
![]() |
19,611 | 2,305,997 | 843,028 | 225,238 | 129,677 | 569,368 | 443,732 |
![]() |
19,585 | 64,771 | 98,147 | 62,730 | 17,852 | 90,299 | 77,075 |
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11,737 | 70,090 | 92,439 | 83,831 | 31,956 | 108,496 | 96,327 |
Total | 10,654,094 | 49,209,180 | 44,564,395 | 24,712,266 | 12,734,213 | ![]() |
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![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ec/Visa_policy_of_Turkey_map.png/250px-Visa_policy_of_Turkey_map.png)
Foreign tourist arrivals increased substantially in Turkey between 2000 and 2005, from 8 million to 25 million, which made Turkey a top-10 destination in the world for foreign visitors. 2005 revenues were US$20.3 billion which also made Turkey one of the top-10 biggest revenue owners in the world. In 2011, Turkey ranked as the 6th most popular tourist destination in the world and 4th in Europe, according to
In early 2017, the Turkish government urged Turkish citizens living abroad to take their vacations in Turkey, attempting to revive the struggling tourism sector
Gallery
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Uzungöl lake and town in Black Sea region
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Statues of Mount Nemrut in Eastern Turkey
-
Hagia Sophia in Istanbul attracts around 3 million tourists each year.
-
Marmaris in Turkey is a popular summer tourism destination.
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Beydağları Coastal National Park in Antalya, Turkey
Government policy and regulation
The AKP government has been promoting "halal tourism" for years,[46] politically reaffirming this stance over the course of 2016.[47] In March 2017, a Turkish court banned global travel fare aggregator website Booking.com from offering services to Turkish tourists for lack of a national licence,[48] while the Hoteliers Association of Turkey campaigns for a lifting the ban of the enterprise on which its members relied for up to 90 percent of their turnover.[49] In April 2017, the police department of the prime resort city of Antalya issued a directive banning the consumption of alcohol outside of buildings.[50]
Sex tourism
Prostitution is legal and regulated in Turkey. The secularization of Turkish society allowed prostitution to achieve legal status during the early 20th century. Sex tourism has been part of Turkey's tourism industry and has been growing over the decades both for foreigners and locals. Many foreigners come to Turkey to work for local Turks in the prostitution business, while many Turks travel abroad as consumers of sex tourism, mostly to Eastern Europe for the purpose.[51] Anyone who encourages someone to commit prostitution, facilitates it, or mediates or provides a place for prostitution is punished with imprisonment from two months to four years and a judicial fine of up to three thousand days.[52][53]
COVID-19 pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of tourists arriving in Turkey declined to around 16 million in 2020.[54] This was the lowest number of tourists in the last decade.[54] The revenue from international travel was reduced to $13.7 billion which only made up 1.91% of the total economy in 2020.[55][56] In 2021, Turkey's tourism recovered from the pandemic as it contributed $59.3 billion to the GDP, which made up 7.3% of the total economy.[57][58]
See also
- List of archaeological sites by country § Turkey
- Ministry of Culture and Tourism (Turkey)
- Museums in Turkey
- Visa policy of Turkey
- List of national parks of Turkey
References
- ^ a b Esma, Gültüvin Gür Omay; Emrah, Cengiz (7 August 2020). "Health Tourism in Turkey: Opportunities and Threats". Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences. 4 (10).
- S2CID 241989515.
- ^ "Rekord: 51,9 Millionen Urlauber besuchten die Türkei 2019 - Hürriyet.de - Wirtschaft". www.hurriyet.de. Archived from the original on 18 February 2020.
- ^ a b "42 million tourists visit Turkey in 2014". Retrieved 6 July 2016.
- ^ a b c "Turkey's tourism industry reels from a year to forget". The Guardian. 5 October 2016.
- ^ "Turkish–German ties at historic low, says scholar Faruk Şen". Hürriyet Daily News. 21 November 2016. Archived from the original on 16 December 2019.
- ^ a b "32.4 mln foreigners visit Turkey in 2017: Tourism Ministry". Hürriyet Daily News. 31 January 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
- ^ a b "Tourism in Turkey starts recovery". ITIJ. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
- ^ a b "DISTRIBUTION OF ARRIVING FOREIGN VISITORS - TOP 5 COUNTRIES (2016-2018) JANUARY-DECEMBER".
- ^ Maierbrugger, Arno (25 January 2013). "Turkey plans world's biggest airport". Inside Investor. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
- ^ "Number of foreign tourists visiting Istanbul plunges for first time in 16 years". Hürriyet Daily News. 6 January 2017.
- ^ "Turkey: Provinces and Major Cities - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
- ^ "Putin bir kararı daha imzaladı. Tartışmalı bölge Rus mülkiyetine geçirildi". Yeni Çağ Gazetesi (in Turkish). 5 October 2022. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
- ^ "MUSEUM OF ANATOLIAN CIVILIZATIONS". T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı (in Turkish). Retrieved 11 October 2022.
- ^ "History of İzmir". izmir.ktb.gov.tr. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
- ^ "Summary of Nation Building and the Lives it Changed Forever: A Reflection on the 100th Anniversary of the Greco-Turkish War · Online Exhibits". apps.lib.umich.edu. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
- ^ "Historical and Cultural Places". izmir.ktb.gov.tr. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
- ^ "Blue Flag Turkey | TURCEV | Foundation for Environmental Education in Turkey". www.mavibayrak.org.tr. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
- ^ A.Ş, ÜNİBEL. "News | A historical record in Izmir tourism". İzmir Büyükşehir Belediyesi. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
- ^ Tilic, L. Dogan (5 April 2010). "Antalya: The Tourism Capital of Turkey". European Business Review. Retrieved 28 January 2011.
- ^ "Turkey rich in "blue flags" – TRAVEL". Hürriyet Daily News. 13 September 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
- ^ Ahmady, Kameel 2009: Another Look at East and Southeast Turkey. GABB Publication, Diyarbakır. p 198.
- ^ "Diyarbakir | History, Population, & Walls | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
- ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Diyarbakır Fortress and Hevsel Gardens Cultural Landscape". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
- ^ "A city at the crossroads of history". DİYARBAKIR'S MEMORY. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
- ^ "Diyarbakır aims to host 1 mln tourists this year - Türkiye News". Hürriyet Daily News. 4 October 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
- ^ [22][23][24][25][26]
- ^ "Capadocia" (PDF).
- ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Türkiye - UNESCO World Heritage Convention". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
- ^ "Turkey's Thriving Business in Hair, Beard, and Mustache Implants". Bloomberg.com. 10 May 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
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- ^ "400,000 Europeans visit Turkey for health tourism - Latest News". Hürriyet Daily News. 26 May 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
- S2CID 252422361.
- ^ Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Republic of Turkey. "Number of Arriving-Departing Foreigners and Citizens, December 2016". Retrieved 16 May 2017.
- ^ NUMBER OF ARRIVING-DEPARTING VISITORS, FOREIGNERS AND CITIZENS December 2017
- ^ "Tourism Receipts-Expenditures (2003-2019)".
- ^ "2019". Ktb.gov.tr. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
- ^ "2012 Tourism Highlights" (PDF). UNWTO. June 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 July 2012. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
- ^ Kafanov, Lucy (19 August 2015). "Violence costing Turkey precious tourism, even far from the fighting". The Christian Science Monitor.
- ^ "4.9 pct less tourists in Turkey in June". DailySabah. 29 July 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
- ^ "It is now time for Turkey's tourism sector to raise revenue". Hürriyet Daily News. 9 February 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
- ^ "Erdoğan calls on citizens abroad: 'Come to Turkey for vacation'". Hürriyet Daily News. 2 February 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
- ^ "Turkey's Economy Contracts for First Time Since 2009". The Wall Street Journal. 12 December 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
- ^ "German travelers booking in Spain, Greece instead of Turkey: Association". Hürriyet Daily News. 21 April 2017.
- ^ "Turkey hopes for German comeback". FVW. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
- ^ "Turkey sees rise in halal tourism". BBC. 25 August 2014.
- ^ "How Turkey plans to boost halal tourism". Al Monitor. 9 May 2016. Archived from the original on 17 January 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
- ^ "Turkey has banned Booking.com but the website isn't backing down". The Independent. 30 March 2017.
- ^ "Turkish hotelier association asks court to lift ban on Booking.com". Hürriyet Daily News. 6 April 2017.
- ^ "Statement on alcohol ban in outdoor locations in Turkey's Antalya sparks debate". Hürriyet Daily News. 28 April 2017.
- ^ "Tourism's dark side: Child sexual abuse in Turkey". 27 June 2016.
- ^ "Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi".
- ^ "Fuhuşa Teşvik Ve Aracılık Etme Suçu".
- ^ a b "Turkey Tourist arrivals - data, chart". TheGlobalEconomy.com. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
- ^ "Turkey International tourism revenue - data, chart". TheGlobalEconomy.com. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
- ^ "Turkey International tourism revenue, percent of GDP - data, chart". TheGlobalEconomy.com. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
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- ^ THE EFFECTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON THE TOURISM INDUSTRY .
Requirements for Urgent Visa for Turkey
Further reading
- Caglayan, Ceyda (14 February 2022). "High hopes that tourism will steady Turkey's economy". Ceyda Caglayan. Financial Post.
- Ahmady, Kameel 2009: Another look at east and southeast Turkey. GABB Publication, Diyarbakır.
External links
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