Turkey tourism hits record visitor and revenue numbers in 2025

Turkey's tourism sector reached record levels in 2025. According to data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, museums and archaeological sites hosted 34,836,007 visitors, representing a 7% increase from the previous year.

Revenue from these sites exceeded 7.3 billion Turkish Lira, a significant 34.3% increase compared to 2024. Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy noted that this growth reflects the rising interest in Turkey's cultural heritage. The Ephesus Archaeological Site in Izmir recorded the highest number of visitors with over 2.5 million, followed by Hierapolis (Pamukkale) in Denizli with approximately 2.3 million visitors.

Separately, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced a target to increase total tourism revenues to 65 billion US dollars. He highlighted the sector as a vital 'smoke-free industry' for the national economy. Current data shows that for the first eight months of the year, Russia and Germany remained the top source markets for foreign visitors, with Istanbul and Antalya serving as the primary entry points.