Turkey Tourist Arrivals Up 0.4% in September

The number of foreign visitors in Turkey increased by 0.4% year-on-year to 6.11 million in September 2026, following stagnation in the previous month. Among the five largest source markets, arrivals from the Russian Federation and Iran increased 0.9% and 16.1%, respectively, while visitors from Germany, the United Kingdom, and Poland decreased by 4.9%, 10.9%, and 0.9%, respectively. Antalya accounted for the largest share of tourist arrivals at 35.88%, with 2.19 million visitors, followed by Istanbul at 31.18%, with 1.91 million. Mugla, Edirne and Izmir accounted for 8.95%, 5.63% and 3.07%, respectively. In January to September 2026, the number of foreign visitors declined by 1.52% to 40.9 million, compared to the same period a year earlier.

The number of foreign visitors to Turkey remained broadly flat year-on-year at around 7 million in August 2026, following a 0.3% decrease in the previous month. Among the five largest source markets, arrivals from Germany, the United Kingdom, and Poland fell by 0.8%, 7.5%, and 0.4%, respectively, while visitors from Russia and Iran rose by 6.2% and 15.1%. Antalya accounted for the largest share of tourist arrivals at 36.24%, with 2.52 million visitors, followed by Istanbul at 27.71% with 1.93 million. Mugla, Edirne and Izmir accounted for 9.23%, 6.97% and 3.45%, respectively. In the January-August 2026 period, the number of foreign visitors arrived declined by 1.8% compared to the previous year.

The number of foreign visitors to Turkey fell 0.3% year-on-year to 7.1 million in July 2026, following a 4.02% drop in the previous month. Among the five largest source markets, arrivals from Germany, the United Kingdom, and Poland fell by 1.9%, 11.0%, and 2.3%, respectively, while visitors from Russia and Iran increased by 6.9% and 27.1%. Elsewhere, arrivals from the Americas dropped 15.2%, while those from Africa and Asia rose 4.2% and 10.4%, respectively. Antalya and Istanbul continued to be the country's leading tourist destinations, attracting 35.4% and 27.2% of total foreign visitors, respectively. In the January–July period, foreign arrivals declined 2.3% from a year earlier to 27.9 million.