Foreign arrivals in Türkiye fell slightly in July, with Russians remaining the country’s largest source of visitors, according to data released by the Culture and Tourism Ministry. The number of foreign visitors totaled 7.1 million in July, marking a 0.3% decrease compared to the same month in the previous year. This follows a broader trend of declining tourism numbers, as the total number of foreign visitors from January through July reached 27.86 million, a 2.29% drop from the same period in 2025. Russia continued to dominate as the primary source of international visitors, contributing just over 1 million arrivals in July. Germany ranked second, followed by the United Kingdom. These figures highlight the ongoing reliance on Russian tourists, despite geopolitical tensions affecting travel patterns. The ministry noted that Russia accounted for 14.38% of all foreign arrivals during July, with 1.02 million visitors. Tourism has long been a cornerstone of Türkiye’s economy, contributing approximately 10% to the nation’s gross domestic product and supporting around 5% of total employment. In 2025, the country recorded a record 52.78 million foreign tourists, with combined visits by Turkish citizens living abroad reaching a new all-time high of 63.94 million. Despite this success, the sector faced challenges in 2026, as tourism revenue grew 6.8% to $65.23 billion, exceeding the government’s Medium-Term Program (OVP) target of $64 billion. For 2026, the government had initially set a target of $68 billion in tourism revenue, prior to the outbreak of the Iran war. However, the first-half performance saw a slight decline, with earnings dropping 0.1% year-over-year to $25.75 billion. This underscores the volatility of the sector, particularly in light of global political developments and their impact on international travel. Istanbul remained the most popular destination among foreign visitors, attracting 10.54 million tourists during the January-July period, or 37.84% of all foreign arrivals. Antalya followed closely with 7.76 million visitors, making up 27.85% of the total. Other notable destinations included Edirne, which welcomed 2.46 million visitors, and Muğla, which recorded 1.70 million. İzmir also contributed significantly, drawing 841,014 visitors during the same timeframe. Beyond these major cities, other countries played a role in shaping the visitor landscape. Iran emerged as the fourth-largest source market, sending 1.53 million visitors, accounting for 5.49% of total arrivals. Bulgaria ranked fifth, with 1.49 million visitors, or 5.37% of the total. Meanwhile, within the monthly breakdown, Poland narrowly surpassed Iran in terms of visitor numbers, with 321,590 visitors compared to Iran’s 322,256. The decline in July arrivals, though modest, reflects broader concerns about the sustainability of Türkiye’s tourism-driven economy. With the sector playing a crucial role in helping the country achieve a current account surplus, any fluctuations in visitor numbers can have far-reaching economic implications. As the government continues to monitor the situation, the focus will likely remain on diversifying sources of tourism revenue and mitigating the effects of geopolitical instability on international travel.
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