Türkiye recorded USD 51.3 billion in tourism revenue in the first nine months of 2026. According to data revealed by Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, this is a record figure, representing a 2.4 per cent increase from the same period last year. Minister Ersoy said at a press conference in İstanbul that third-quarter tourism revenues also reached a record high: “Revenues stood at 25.5 billion US dollars, representing a 5 per cent increase compared to the previous year.”
Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy stated that international travel traffic confronted unusual difficulties this year. In this context, the Minister cited regional conflicts, airspace restrictions, and higher energy and airfare costs as factors affecting travel choices, airline capacity, and tour operators’ schedules. Minister Ersoy said that Türkiye emerged as a stable haven in this environment.
Ersoy also noted that the country has pursued deliberate measures to prepare the tourism sector for crises since 2018, including establishing the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency to ensure the continuous and systematic implementation of promotional activities, expanding source markets, and diversifying the tourism offering. Ersoy stated that the fact that the country achieved the highest revenues in its history in the third quarter and the first nine months of such a year validated this strategy.
According to Minister Ersoy, in the coming period Türkiye will safeguard its standing in core markets while also stepping up its activities in high-potential markets such as the United States, Canada, East Asia, Africa, and Australia.
Meanwhile, according to the data provided, 49.1 million people visited the country between January and September, and the average length of stay increased by 0.3 per cent to 10.34 nights. Average daily spending rose 4.6 per cent to USD 107.7, indicating continued growth in visitor spending.
Russia, meanwhile, remained Türkiye’s most important source market, accounting for 5.70 million visitors; Germany ranked second with 5.17 million visitors, followed by the United Kingdom in third place with 3.20 million visitors.
The current picture and the data presented highlight the resilience of the Turkish tourism sector, despite challenging conditions in international travel, as the country continues to broaden its source markets and strengthen its position in the global tourism industry.