Official data released from the Culture and Tourism Ministry on Monday, shows that the total number of foreign visitors arriving to Turkey in August increased by 2.05% to reach 6.97 million people. This is compared to the same month last year.
35 million foreigners visit Turkey from January to August
Data released from January through to August showed that a total of 35.48 million foreigners had travelled to Turkey so far this year. When including Turkish nationals who live abroad and travel home to visit family, that number swells to 40.47 million people.
Last year, Turkey set a new historical record for total number of foreign visitors with 52.6 million arrivals in 2024. Including Turkish citizens who live abroad, that number increased to 62.3 million people.
According to global travel data, Turkey is currently the world’s fourth-most visited country for tourism. The government hopes to attract just over 65 million visitors in 2025 and generate an income of $64 billion USD in tourism revenue. Tourism income increased by 8.3% in 2024 to reach $61.1 billion USD.
Russian nationals the most popular visiting in August
A total of 990,709 Russian nationals visited in August, becoming the most popular country travelling to Turkey. In second place, 989,839 German citizens travelled to Turkey in August. Visitors from the United Kingdom wrapped up to top three, with 638,937 Brits arriving during the month of August.
The most popular rankings remain the same when looking at data from January to August. 4.6 million Russians arrived during the first eight months of the year, followed by 4.4 million German nationals, and 3 million nationals from the United Kingdom.
The importance of the tourism industry to Turkey
The tourism industry is of vital importance to Turkey. The tourism sector currently contributes around 10% towards Turkey’s gross domestic product and is responsible for just over 5% of total employment in the country.
Cameron Deggin 
Founder & CEO, Property Turkey
Cameron Deggin is Founder and CEO of Property Turkey. A former finance professional and FCCA-qualified accountant, he founded the company in 2001 after recognising Turkey’s investment potential. With more than two decades analysing Turkish real estate, Cameron regularly advises international investors and is quoted by media including the Financial Times and BBC.
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