Total tourism income in Turkey 2001-2023
The income generated by the tourism sector in Turkey roughly doubled in 2021 over the previous year, after having dropped sharply in 2020 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Overall, the total tourism spending by international travelers and Turkish citizens resident abroad amounted to nearly 56 billion U.S. dollars in 2023.
Has the Turkish tourism sector recovered after the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic?
As a result of travel bans, border closures, and national and international quarantines imposed due to the pandemic, in the spring of 2020, tourism movements came to a halt in Turkey like many other countries. Yet, Turkey demonstrated significant signs of recovery from 2022, with the volume of inbound travelers matching pre-pandemic levels again. In that sense, Turkey ranked fifth among other European countries in terms of international tourist arrival growth in 2023. Welcoming over 57 million inbound visitors in 2023, the country’s key sector shows positive signs of recovery.
The hotel market trends
In line with the developments in the tourism sector, and the increasing number of visitors, the hotel industry in Turkey has been an attractive investment opportunity. Some of the largest hotel chains such as Hilton, Marriott, and Radisson have opened their branches in many provinces of the country. Meanwhile, in 2023, 5-star hotels had the highest occupancy rate in Turkey. In the same year, 51 percent of international and local visitors arriving to tourist accommodation preferred to stay in hotels, which indicates that the hotel market is a strong pillar of the Turkish tourism sector
