Source: TurkStat
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With its favorable location, existing potential, mega projects, and ambitious targets set for 2023, the tourism sector continues to grow at a rate that outstrips its bed capacity. Even though there has been a surge of investments in the last several years, there is still ample room for new ventures. Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia both have untapped potential for cultural tourism as well as the increasingly popular boutique hotel concept, which blends well with the characteristic nature, history, and culture of the regions.

• In 2018, Turkey was the 6^th most popular tourist destination in the world according to UNWTO.
• According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the number of foreign travelers arriving in Turkey in 2018 was 46 million, while total turnover of the tourism industry that same year was USD 29.5 billion.
• Growth in the Turkish tourism industry has been above the global average in recent years, and the direct positive contribution of the industry to the current account deficit in 2018 was 52 percent.
• With regard to religious tourism, Turkey is among the few countries in the world that is home to sites from a number of major religions. Of a total of 316 sacred sites, 167 of them belong to Islam, 129 to Christianity, and 20 to Judaism.
• Antalya is the most preferred city in Turkey based on the number of incoming foreign visitors. Visited by 32 percent of the foreign tourists in 2018, Antalya has over 500 4-star and 5-star hotels in its center and surrounding towns such as Kemer, Belek, and Kaş.
• The number of operational hotel chains Turkey is 57, with 44 of these being domestically owned, and 15 of these being foreign owned. The number of hotels in these 57 chains in Turkey totals 628, while the number of rooms totals 149,601.
• Turkey has 7,200 km of coastline and ranks 3^rd among all countries with its 463 blue-flag beaches.
• In terms of geothermal tourism potential, Turkey is among the top seven countries in the world and ranks 1st in Europe with its 1,500 thermal springs. Bed capacity in the various thermal spa resorts has reached a combined 100,000.
• The Belek region stands out as the most significant golf destination in Turkey, ranking among the world’s most popular tourism centers with 18 golf courses, more than 50,000-bed capacity, and 2 million tourist arrivals.
• Based on 2018 tourism figures, Forbes Travel has ranked the world’s top 10 most-visited cities, with Istanbul coming in at 8^th place.
• The Turkish government offers incentives such as reduced utility prices and reduced tax rates, while also pursuing policies aimed at eliminating any bureaucratic barriers that may hinder growth in the tourism sector. ​​​​

For further information, you can visit: https://www.invest.gov.tr/en/sectors/pages/tourism.aspx

Source:Republic of Turkey Investment Office / link: https://www.invest.gov.tr/en/sectors/pages/tourism.aspx
Legal Notice: The information in this article is intended for information purposes only. It is not intended for professional information purposes specific to a person or an institution. Every institution has different requirements because of its own circumstances even though they bear a resemblance to each other. Consequently, it is your interest to consult on an expert before taking a decision based on information stated in this article and putting into practice. Neither MuhasebeNews nor related person or institutions are not responsible for any damages or losses that might occur in consequence of the use of the information in this article by private or formal, real or legal person and institutions.

According to the news of Hürriyet Daily News, the number of foreigners visiting Turkey jumped 14.3 percent on a yearly basis between January and November, data from the Culture and Tourism Ministry have shown.

Over the past 11 months, a total of 42.9 million foreign holidaymakers entered the country, the ministry said on Dec. 30.

As far as the breakdown by country of origin is concerned, Russians topped the list with 6.9 million visitors or a16 percent share in total foreign tourist arrivals, followed by Germans with 11.3 percent (4.8 million visitors) and Britons with 5.8 percent (2.5 million).

In January-November this year, 2.48 million Bulgarian nationals spent the holiday in Turkey, accounting for some 5.8 percent of total foreign tourists, while Iranians captured the fifth spot with 1.97 million, or 4.6 percent, in total.

Data from the ministry also revealed that the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya was the top tourist draw in the country. It attracted around 14.4 million foreign holidaymakers – 33.7 percent of all visitors – in the first 11 months of the year.

Istanbul was the second most popular destination with foreign tourists. A total of 13.8 million foreign nationals visited the megacity in January-November.

The northwestern province of Edirne, which borders both Bulgaria and Greece, saw the third highest number of foreigners with 4 million, or 9.4 percent, of all visits.

In November alone, the country welcomed 2.2 million foreign visitors, which translated into an 11.4 percent year-on-year rise, data showed.

Last year, some 39.5 million foreigners entered the country, up from 32.4 million in 2017.

The government’s new economic program, released in September, projects $29 billion in tourism revenues for 2019.

According to the estimates in the program, Turkey’s tourism revenues will increase to $34.3 billion next year and further to $40.1 billion in 2021. The government’s revenue target for 2022 is $46.5 billion.

The latest data from the Turkish Statistics Institute (TÜİK) showed that the country’s tourism revenues soared 22 percent on an annual basis in the third quarter of 2019 to stand at $14.03 billion.

In the first nine months of 2019, Turkey’s tourism income totaled over $26.6 billion, up by 16.15 percent from $22.9 billion in the same period last year.

In September this year, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said that Turkey was eyeing 75 million tourists by 2023.

“The average expenditure per capita is targeted to hit $867 in 2023,” he added.

TÜİK reported that in the third quarter of 2019, visitors’ average expenditures were $649 per capita, as foreign visitors spent $623 per capita and Turkish citizens spent $789.

Source: Hürriyet Daily News / link: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-sees-14-31-pct-surge-in-number-of-foreign-visitors-150430
Legal Notice: The information in this article is intended for information purposes only. It is not intended for professional information purposes specific to a person or an institution. Every institution has different requirements because of its own circumstances even though they bear a resemblance to each other. Consequently, it is your interest to consult on an expert before taking a decision based on information stated in this article and putting into practice. Neither MuhasebeNews nor related person or institutions are not responsible for any damages or losses that might occur in consequence of the use of the information in this article by private or formal, real or legal person and institutions.