Türkiye Welcomes Over 45 Million Foreign Tourists in First Ten Months of 2025

2025 is shaping up to be another strong year for Türkiye’s tourism — official data show that 47.25 million foreign tourists arrived in the country between January and October. While this figure represents a slight decline compared to the same period last year, the scale and distribution of visitors point to important trends. Istanbul leads, drawing 16.01 million foreign visitors over the ten-month period, which is about 33.9% of all tourist arrivals. Antalya, the Mediterranean holiday capital, remains a top magnet, while Edirne, situated near the borders with Bulgaria and Greece, is also pulling in a growing share of travelers. When it comes to where these tourists are coming from, Russians lead the pack with 13.5% of total foreign arrivals between January and October. They are followed by Germans and British visitors. October was an especially strong month: Türkiye welcomed 5.68 million foreign visitors, a 4.3% year-on-year increase. Despite the healthy flow of visitors, there are signs of headwinds. In July 2025, foreign arrivals dropped by 5% compared to July 2024 — a rare monthly decline in recent years. Analysts point to rising prices in Türkiye as a potential factor making travel less affordable for some. Still, the overall picture remains strong. In the first quarter of 2025, Türkiye brought in $9.5 billion in tourism revenue, driven by nearly 8.84 million foreign visitors in that period. Some industry observers see this as a sign that Türkiye’s tourism recovery is not just sustained but evolving, with more high-spending visitors and better infrastructure helping to keep numbers high. As the country aims to hit its target of 65 million visitors and $64 billion in tourism income for 2025, all eyes will be on how the rest of the year plays out — and whether this momentum can continue in a competitive global travel market. *** Photo Credit: iSawRed