Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy shared Türkiye’s tourism figures for the first six months of 2026 at a press conference. Ersoy said global and regional developments directly affected the tourism sector, adding that the war along the Iran-Israel-US front, particularly during the second quarter, negatively affected international travel demand, air traffic and booking processes.
Ersoy emphasized that Türkiye had maintained its strong tourism performance by managing crises effectively, saying the sector had become much more resilient thanks to policies implemented in recent years.
6 billion liras in support for the sector
Ersoy recalled that a 60 billion-lira credit facility had been provided under the Tourism Support Package, implemented under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to strengthen the tourism sector’s financing and employment structure. He said a new support model covering May-December 2026 provided a monthly premium subsidy of 3,500 liras per insured employee working at accommodation facilities holding tourism operation certificates, adding that a total of 6 billion liras had been allocated for the sector.
Ersoy also recalled that the accommodation tax rate had been reduced to 1% through the end of the year. He said Turkish tourism was continuing its course with determination in the face of global developments through strong cooperation between the public and private sectors.
Türkiye’s tourism sector is more resilient to crises
Ersoy noted that geopolitical risks had always existed in the region where Türkiye is located, saying steps had been taken since 2018 to make the sector more resilient to crises. He said the establishment of the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), efforts to increase product diversity, the pursuit of new source markets and promotional activities conducted around the world formed the foundation of this strategy.
Ersoy said they had acted in coordination with industry representatives from the moment the war began, rapidly updating their promotion, marketing and capacity plans.
“Crises existed yesterday and still exist today in the region where Türkiye is located. We prepared our sector for this reality. By accurately reading developments and taking the necessary steps on time, we are managing the process successfully.”
A safe and strong destination identity
Ersoy emphasized that Türkiye had further strengthened its identity as a safe and strong destination internationally. He announced that the miniseries prepared through the TGA to showcase Türkiye’s natural, historical and cultural wealth to the world had surpassed 5 billion views. He said international promotion and sales support had been provided during the first half of the year for concerts by artists including Andrea Bocelli, Scorpions, Pet Shop Boys, Alice Cooper, Kanye West and Ricky Martin.
Ersoy said the UEFA Europa League Final being held in Istanbul and Formula 1 returning to Istanbul from 2027 had once again demonstrated Türkiye’s capacity to host international events. “Türkiye has once again shown through international events that it is an island of stability in a region surrounded by conflict,” he said.
First-half figures: 25.7 million visitors and $25.7 billion in revenue
According to the figures announced by Ersoy, Türkiye welcomed 25,759,000 visitors during the first six months of the year. Tourism revenue stood at $25.746 billion, maintaining last year’s level. Average per-person spending per night rose from $106 to $109 during the first six months, while spending per person per night among foreign visitors reached $122. The figure for citizens residing abroad increased from $70 to $75.
The average length of stay also rose from 9.96 nights to 10.01 nights. During the first six months of the year, the Russian Federation, Germany and the United Kingdom were the countries that sent the most visitors to Türkiye.
At the end of his speech, Ersoy said, “We trust Türkiye’s tourism sector, its strong infrastructure, product diversity and service quality, as well as the experience our sector has gained in dealing with crises. As we have done to date, we will continue to take the necessary steps on time.”
Ersoy also said, “We anticipate that the peace-oriented steps taken in foreign policy under the leadership of our President, which are being welcomed by the parties at war, together with the intensive promotional activities carried out by the TGA from the moment the crises began, have largely eliminated security concerns about Türkiye arising from our presence in the region and will be reflected in the figures as positive growth from the third quarter onward.”
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