Turkey tourism employment hits record 1.5 million

Employment in Turkey’s accommodation and food services sector reached a historic high in June 2026. According to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), the number of paid employees in this sector rose to 1,503,537, surpassing the 1.5 million threshold for the first time since data collection began in 2009.

This represents a 3.2% increase compared to June 2025, when employment stood at 1,456,619. A notable milestone within this growth is the food and beverage services sub-sector, which exceeded 1 million employees for the first time.

The surge is attributed to the early start of the tourism season, influenced by the Eid al-Adha holiday. Beyond seasonal fluctuations, the sector has seen continuous annual employment growth for 63 consecutive months, with the last period of decline occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2021.

On a broader scale, total paid employment in Turkey exceeded 16.3 million during the first half of 2026, with the manufacturing and trade sectors remaining the largest employers.