Figures released by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism at the Travel Convention in Bodrum show there were 3.16 million UK visitors in the destination from January to September 2023, up 12% year on year.
Overall visitor arrivals to Turkey – also known as Türkiye – from January to September 2023 totalled 45.23 million – an increase of 12% from the same period in 2022.
At the same time, Turkish tourism revenues for the nine-month period increased 20% year on year to $42 billion.
Tourist visitor numbers in 2019, before the pandemic, topped 50 million.
The UK was Turkey’s fourth largest tourism market in 2019, before the pandemic. Numbers dropped during Covid travel restrictions but during 2022, the UK moved into third position.
The current top tourism market is Russia, followed by Germany, with UK third and Bulgaria in fourth place. In 2019, this ranking was Russia, Germany, Bulgaria and then the UK.
Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Turkey’s culture and tourism minister, told delegates at the Travel Convention in Bodrum (pictured) this week: “Turkey and the UK have deep-rooted relations and your country is also one of our leading tourism markets.
“The role of the collaborations we have established with you will continue in the future, and they undoubtedly carry significance in Turkey’s success in tourism.”
The country’s tourist board said the increase in visitor arrivals from the UK comes at a time of “significant” tourism developments.
The first phase of Turkey’s sustainability programme with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council has become operational this year, with more than 6,953 accommodation facilities now receiving sustainability certificates.
And following Istanbul’s inclusion in the Michelin Guide in 2022, Bodrum and Izmir are joining this year with featured restaurants set to be announced on November 9.