Turkey Records 56.7 Million Foreign Tourists Last Year... 'All-Time High'

Targeting 60 Million Tourists and 60 Billion Dollar Revenue

Turkey recorded a historic high in inbound tourists last year.

Ancient city of Antalya
[Photo by Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism]

On the 14th, the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced that the number of inbound tourists to Turkey in 2023 reached 56.7 million, marking the highest number ever. This represents a 10% increase compared to the previous year, and tourism revenue also rose by 17% from 2022 to $54.3 billion (approximately 72 trillion KRW).

Turkey, a Mediterranean country connecting the continents of Europe and Asia, is a beautiful resort and cultural city visited by more than 30 million travelers annually.

The Turkish government aims to attract 60 million tourists and generate $60 billion (approximately 79 trillion KRW) in tourism revenue in 2024, building on this momentum.

Previously, in 2022, Turkey became the first country in the world to sign a national-level agreement with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), launching eco-friendly tourism policies. The sustainable tourism programs developed in cooperation with GSTC have been praised for rewarding those who practice sustainable tourism and increasing tourist trust.

Through the rapid adoption of advanced policies focused on the environment, Turkey has created an environment that people want to visit, transformed tourist destinations into more resilient structures, and achieved today’s results by implementing strategic and sustainable policies.

Antalya Kaputas Beach
[Photo by Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism]

In particular, Turkey is also promoting the development of various tourism programs utilizing archaeological cultural heritage. To prove the sustainability of archaeological cultural heritage, Turkey is conducting multiple artifact excavation and restoration projects. As a pioneer in this field, Turkey expanded its archaeological projects to 720 last year. This year, it plans to further broaden the scope to 750 projects, solidifying its position.

The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism explained, "Within the current tourism strategy, we are carrying out various activities reflecting market diversity and aim to focus on expanding new target markets in 2024."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.