The number of foreign visitors to Turkey increased by 23.65 percent in January-May 2023 compared to last year.
During the first five months, Turkey had the highest number of Russia visitors, with a 110.12% increase from the previous year. Germany ranked second with a rise of 20.75%, followed by Bulgaria with an increase of 11.64%. The United Kingdom and Iran were also among the top five source markets for Turkey visitors during this period.
Increase rate 16.19 % in May
The number of foreign visitors who came to Turkey in May this year increased by 16.19 percent compared to last year. This amounted to 4 million 500 thousand 242.
During May, the Russian Federation sent the most visitors to a particular country, with a 76.55% increase from the previous year. Germany came in second place with a 24.04% increase, followed by the United Kingdom with a 12.07% increase.
Russian tourists come to Istanbul first
Tourism in Istanbul increased 7.4% in May 2023, with 1.5 million visitors recorded compared to 1.4 million the previous month. From January to May of the same year, the number of tourists visiting Istanbul rose by 18.8%, from 5.28 million to 6.27 million, according to information and data provided by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
In Istanbul, the most influential tourists were Russians, with 835,000 visitors. Following them were Germans with 468,000 tourists, Iran with 375,000 tourists, the United States with 271,000 tourists, and England with 246,000 tourists. Other top markets included France, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Italy, and Iraq.