Türkiye expects to welcome 60M foreign tourists this year

ANKARA 

Türkiye aims to attract 60 million foreign tourists in 2023, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a press conference to unveil the country's tourism roadmap for 2028, Ersoy said: "While world tourism reached 65% of its pre-virus level in 2022, Türkiye managed to nearly overtake its pre-virus level of 45 million."

"Our target is 90 million foreign tourist arrivals for 2028," he stressed.

In 2022, some 44.6 million foreign tourists came to Türkiye, leaping 80.3% from a year earlier.

"Türkiye performed the best (of all countries) in tourism revenues during the post-virus period," Ersoy said.

The country generated $46.3 billion in tourism revenues last year, up from $38.9 billion in 2019, Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) data showed.

The country is aiming for $56 billion in revenues this year, he noted.

As the average expenditure per night for overnight foreign visitors was $86 in 2022, it is targeted to hit $95 this year and $118 in 2028, Ersoy stressed.

The country will achieve its goals by diversifying markets rather than only focusing on nearby regions, he said.