Turkiye has emerged as the third biggest tourism market in the world, as it welcomed 51.4 million international visitors in the year 2022, registering a fast-paced recovery. According to a press statement citing the latest data, Turkiye’s tourism revenues reached USD 46.3 billion, an increase of 19 pc over the tourism receipts in 2019.

The statement adds that Turkiye has become one of the world’s most popular MICE and FIT tourism destinations. In 2022, the country hosted the highest number of visitors from the Russian Federation, Germany, and the United Kingdom. On the other hand, India was not far behind in their contribution to Turkiye’s tourism sector as the country welcomed over 2,32,000 visitors from India, surpassing all the previous records.

Mehmet Nuri Ersoy

“By the end of 2022, the global tourism visitor data recovered by 65 pc compared to the pre-pandemic period, but Türkiye has almost reached its pre-pandemic numbers. Our growth in tourism revenues is even more impressive; in 2022, Türkiye’s tourism revenues reached a record-breaking USD 46.3 billion, with an increase of 19 pc compared to 2019. These results certify that Türkiye had a great comeback after the pandemic, and we are confident to bring 90 million tourists and achieve USD 100 billion in tourism revenues by the end of 2028,” says Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Türkiye’s Minister of Culture and Tourism.

The press statement adds that after the pandemic, Turkiye made a strong recovery and ranks as the sixth most popular destination for tourists worldwide. The country aims to surpass all previous records in 2023 by hosting a significantly higher number of Indian tourists this year.