Turkey Tourist Arrivals Rise 5% in March

The number of foreign visitors to Turkey rose by 5.01% year-on-year to 2.46 million in March 2026, following a 2.08% drop in the previous month. Arrivals increased from the top five source countries, namely Germany (40.48%), Russia (12.40%), Bulgaria (9.85%), the UK (17.73%), and Georgia (8.78%). Istanbul remained the most popular destination, accounting for 51.57% of total foreign tourist arrivals, followed by Antalya (14.60%) and Edirne (11.69%). For the first quarter of the year, total foreign arrivals grew by 2.21% to 6.84 million.

The number of foreign visitors to Turkey fell by 2.08% year-on-year to 2.13 million in February 2026, reversing a 3.48% rise in the previous month. This marked the first month of decline in tourist arrivals since July last year, as visitors decreased from two of the top five source countries, including Iran (-8.09%) and Germany (-1.49%). Meanwhile, tourists increased from Georgia (25.03%), Bulgaria (5.39%), and Russia (2.52%). By region, Europe remained the largest source, accounting for 42.97% of total arrivals, led by Germany, Bulgaria, and the UK. However, visitors declined from Macedonia (-17.87%), Norway (-13.11%), and Austria (-7.84%). Asia contributed 24.21% of arrivals, with notable increases from China (115.22%) and Singapore (21.68%). Istanbul remained the most visited city, receiving 1.23 million visitors, followed by Edirne and Antalya, contributing 0.22 million and 0.18 million arrivals, respectively.

The number of foreign visitors to Turkey rose by 3.48% year-on-year to 2.25 million in January 2026, following a 4.99% increase in the previous month. Among the top five source countries, arrivals increased from Germany (+6.77%), Bulgaria (+3.56%), and North Cyprus (+9.30%), while declining from Iran (-6.42%) and Russia (-11.64%). By region, Europe accounted for the largest share of visitors at 38.19%, led by Germany, Bulgaria, and the UK. The Middle East contributed 10.66% of arrivals, with notable increases from Saudi Arabia (+37.71%) and Egypt (+22.35%), while Asia made up 26.34% of arrivals, with rises from China (+3.52%) and Pakistan (+39.20%). North and South America together represented 1.11% of total arrivals. Istanbul remained the most visited city, receiving 1.01 million visitors, followed by Edirne (171K) and Antalya (67K).