Türkiye increased foreign arrivals by 21% between 2019 and 2025, making it the fourth-fastest-growing destination among leading tourism markets, according to an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report.
International tourist arrivals across OECD countries reached a record 847 million in 2025, up an estimated 3.4% from a year earlier, extending the sector's recovery after an 8.1% increase in 2024, the OECD said in its Tourism Trends and Policies 2026 report.
The report noted that geopolitical tensions, conflicts in the Middle East, shifting travel preferences and extreme weather events continue to shape the global tourism outlook.
Security concerns, rising travel costs and uncertainty over cancellations have encouraged travelers to favor familiar and lower-cost destinations, while airlines and tourism operators are reassessing plans for 2027 and beyond.
Among countries that surpassed pre-pandemic tourism levels, Japan recorded the strongest growth in international arrivals between 2019 and 2025, with a 34% increase, followed by Norway at 28% and Denmark at 22%.
Türkiye ranked fourth with a 21% rise in international visitor numbers, placing it among the countries that have expanded tourism demand most significantly since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The OECD said roughly one-third of member countries expect tourism performance in 2026 to exceed 2025 levels and set new records, although geopolitical risks, economic uncertainty and climate-related challenges remain key concerns for the industry.
Firuz Bağlıkaya, chair of the Association of Travel Agencies of Türkiye (TÜRSAB), said tourism is among the sectors most sensitive to geopolitical developments, health crises, natural disasters and economic volatility.
"Türkiye has a strong tourism ecosystem that has successfully managed numerous global and regional crises," Bağlıkaya said, attributing much of that resilience to the experience of travel agencies and industry stakeholders.
He said the industry's future growth should be measured not only by visitor numbers but also by spending per tourist, average length of stay, sustainability of tourism revenues and overall contribution to the economy.
Türkiye welcomed a record 52.78 million foreign tourists in 2025, while total visitor numbers rose to a new all-time high of 63.94 million.
Tourism revenues increased 6.8% to $65.23 billion, surpassing the government's Medium-Term Program (OVP) target of $64 billion.
For 2026, the government is targeting $68 billion in tourism revenue.
Tourism is a vital industry that Türkiye relies on to help flip its chronic current account deficit to a surplus. The sector contributes about 10% to the country's gross domestic product (GDP) and accounts for about 5% of total employment.
TÜRSAB's Bağlıkaya said Türkiye should focus on expanding higher-value tourism segments, including cultural, gastronomic, health, convention, sports, faith-based, cruise and rural tourism, to spread tourism activity throughout the year and increase visitor spending.
He added that Türkiye's goal of generating $100 billion in tourism revenue will require a greater emphasis on quality and value creation rather than volume alone.
Bağlıkaya also highlighted cruise tourism as one of the highest-spending segments and said Türkiye could strengthen its position by integrating its cruise ports more closely with Istanbul Airport, one of the world's leading aviation hubs.