Türkiye is experiencing an astonishing increase in visitor numbers and is expected to overtake France as Europe's second most visited country in 2024. Tourism boomed in 2023, with tourist numbers in Europe finally returning to pre-pandemic levels.

According to the recently published WTM Global Travel Report in collaboration with Tourism Economics, the value of domestic travel in terms of expenditure is expected to increase by 19% in 2019.

Türkiye sees over 70% increase in visitor numbers

Although the total number of visitors to Europe decreased by 3% from 440 million in 2019 to 428 million in 2023, but the number is rapidly increasing in Turkiye. This country has seen a 73% increase in the number of visitors compared to 2019. This outpaces Europe’s two biggest markets France and Spain, which increased by 33% and 31% respectively compared to 2019. Croatia, the region’s 10th biggest market, has been another standout performer with 2023 expected to come in 51% ahead of pre-pandemic levels.

What is behind Türkiye’s tourism boom?

Travellers can now afford more cheap trips to Turkey thanks to the declining value of the Turkish lira. The pristine beaches and upscale resorts along the nation's coastline have made it a more affordable option than the French Côte d'Azur or the Italian Riviera. Istanbul attracts tourists with its lively districts and spectacular Ottoman architecture, while Ephesus on the west coast is an ancient wonder filled with huge monuments. In the center of Turkiye, you can experience Cappadocia's supernatural rock-carved landscape from a hot air balloon or a cave hotel. It is also one of the European destinations where flights from Russia are not prohibited. A total of 7 million Russians are expected to visit Turkiye in 2023, up from around 5 million in 2022. Since 2019, many people are claiming some of the Resurrection drama series based on the discussed history of Turkey as the reason for the increase in the number of visitors to Turkey. According to them, Diriliş: Ertuğrul and Kuruluş: Osman, a Turkish state-financed Resurrection series, is based on the story of the ancient Ottoman Empire of Turkiye. The popular series (Diriliş: Ertuğrul) has been broadcast in 22 countries worldwide in different languages ​​and has been watched by at least 3 billion viewers worldwide (almost half of the world's population). The series has even entered the Guinness World Records. Turkey's history and tradition have emerged through these series. Moreover, as a result of many discussions and criticism, interest is being created among the visitors to see and learn about the suiting sets of these series and the country of Turkey. As a result, the number of tourists in Turkey has been increasing at a large rate for the last four years.

What will be the most visited country in 2024?

The WTM report also predicts that Türkiye’s appeal will continue into 2024 and will overtake France as the second most visited country in Europe. The organisation forecasts continued growth for Spain, France and Türkiye, increasing in value by 74, 80 and 72 per cent respectively.