Tourism Treasure: Türkiye Rakes in $9.5B in Just Three Months

Türkiye aims to welcome 65 million tourists

and earn $64 billion in revenue by the end of 2025

This marks a 4.4% increase in tourist arrivals

Shabana Ayaz

Istanbul: Türkiye’s tourism industry has kicked off 2025 with record-breaking performance, generating $9.5 billion in revenue during the January–March period, Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced.

Speaking on Tuesday, Minister Ersoy said Türkiye aims to welcome 65 million tourists and earn $64 billion in revenue by the end of 2025. This marks a 4.4% increase in tourist arrivals and a 4.7% rise in revenue compared to last year.

“Our 2025 target is 65 million tourists and $64 billion in revenue,” Ersoy stated, highlighting Türkiye’s upward trajectory in the global tourism rankings. The country, which ranked 8th in global tourism in 2017, climbed to 4th place in 2024, signaling consistent growth.

According to official data, Türkiye hosted 8.9 million international visitors in the first quarter of 2025, a key contributor to the historic revenue figure.

Last year’s top five source countries for tourists visiting Türkiye were Russia (6.71 million), Germany (6.62 million), the UK (4.43 million), Iran (3.28 million), and Bulgaria. Minister Ersoy expressed optimism that these numbers will continue to rise with expanding global interest in Türkiye’s cultural, historical, and coastal destinations.

The strong Q1 figures suggest a robust year ahead for Türkiye’s tourism sector, which plays a vital role in the country’s economy.