Turkey has announced a significant rise in tourism for the first quarter of 2026, with the country welcoming 9.2 million international visitors, including over 300,000 British holidaymakers. This represents a 4.2% increase compared to the same period last year, despite ongoing concerns about jet fuel shortages linked to the Middle East conflict.
UK Tourist Numbers on the Rise
UK visitor numbers grew by 3.43% in the first three months of 2026, reaching a total of 314,306 travellers. This marks a steady increase from the same period in 2025. Irish visitors also saw a notable surge, with numbers rising by 17% to 23,049 travellers.
Minister Announces New Statistics
Turkey's Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, revealed the latest figures at a press conference in Istanbul. He highlighted that the average expenditure per night from visitors increased to £75, a 2.8% rise from the previous year. In 2017, this figure stood at £50, while in 2025 it was £73.
Minister Ersoy stated: "We are going through an extremely sensitive period on a global scale. Regional tensions, geopolitical developments, the negative impact of conflicts, and the resulting fluctuations in international travel movements are among the main factors directly affecting the tourism sector. Crises can and will always occur in our region; however, what is decisive here is how these periods are managed. Last year, we faced similar global developments and regional uncertainties. Despite this, we closed 2025 with 64 million visitors and tourism revenue of $65.2 billion."
Strong Crisis Management
The minister emphasised that Turkey's ability to handle crises has been key to its tourism success. He added: "The figures clearly demonstrate that Türkiye is not only a strong destination in tourism but also possesses a high capacity for crisis management. We will continue on our path this year with the same determination and the experience we have gained. In the first three months of this year, we increased our international visitor numbers by 4.2% to 9.2 million, and our tourism revenues rose by 4.2% to 9.9 billion US dollars."
Ersoy also noted that the ministry is directly monitoring reservation trends, cancellations, changes in travel plans, and consumer behaviours from the field. This approach allows them to analyse the current situation and develop market-specific, rapid, and effective actions.
