Minister confident $64 billion tourism revenue target to be met

LONDON

Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy has expressed confidence that the country is firmly on track to reach its year-end tourism revenue target of $64 billion.

Speaking at the World Travel Market (WTM) in London, one of the global tourism industry’s leading gatherings, Ersoy highlighted that Türkiye has welcomed 50 million visitors and generated $50 billion in tourism income between January and September.

“This represents a 1.6 percent increase in visitor numbers and more than a 5.7 percent rise in revenues compared to last year,” Ersoy said.

“We can clearly see that we are moving steadily toward our year-end goal of $64 billion. October was also very successful, with above-average bookings and arrivals, and we expect November and December to follow the same trend,” he added.

The minister acknowledged that regional developments had temporarily slowed booking flows earlier in the year but noted that targeted promotional campaigns helped accelerate demand.

On the U.K. market, Ersoy stated that Türkiye expects to close 2025 with 4.25 million British visitors, setting a new benchmark. “Our goal for next year is to surpass 4.5 million visitors from the U.K.,” he added.

He also emphasized Türkiye’s efforts to diversify both its tourism products and source markets, pointing to increased focus on Ireland and Eastern European countries.

“Türkiye has moved beyond the traditional ‘sea, sand and sun’ model,” Ersoy said.

“Over the past seven to eight years, we have invested heavily in diversifying our offerings, and the positive results are now reflected in the [tourism] figures,” he added.