Turkey rises 11 places in WEF Travel and Tourism Development Index

Turkey has risen 11 places in the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2026 Travel and Tourism Development Index, moving from 47th in 2019 to 36th in 2026. Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy highlighted that the country's sustainable tourism program is being cited as an exemplary model globally.

According to the report, Turkey achieved the second-highest growth worldwide in the area of tourism's socioeconomic impact, with an 8.3% score increase. The country's index score rose from 4.1206 in 2019 to 4.3734 in 2026, representing a total increase of 6.1%.

The WEF report specifically noted Turkey's approach to managing rapid growth through sustainability standards. Key areas of progress include managing tourism density to prevent overcrowding in specific destinations and implementing practices that ensure tourism revenue benefits local populations. Turkey showed improvements across all indicators, including environmental sustainability and the sustainability of tourism demand.