Turkey Tourist Arrivals Fall in April

The number of foreign visitors to Turkey fell by 9.44% year-on-year to 3.53 million in April 2025, the largest decline in a year, reversing the 5% increase recorded in the previous month. Arrivals from most of the top five source markets declined, led by Germany (-17.46%), followed by the United Kingdom (-15.14%) and Bulgaria (-5.12%). In contrast, visitor numbers from the Netherlands and Russia increased by 4.85% and 3.14%, respectively. By region, Europe remained the largest source of visitors, accounting for 56.24% of total arrivals, while Russia represented 10.97%. Istanbul continued to be the country’s most popular destination, attracting 41.72% of all foreign visitors. In the first four months of the year, total foreign arrivals declined by 2.08% to 10.37 million.

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.