After a record-breaking 2019 and a collapse during the pandemic last year, a massive recovery has begun in Turkey, where the role of tourism remains critical.
Tourism has been one of the main pillars of the Turkish economy and a powerful driver of economic momentum since the 1980s. In 2019, Turkey broke a historical record by registering 51.86 million tourists, which is 12.2% more than in 2018. In 2020, the number of tourists decreased to 15.97 million people.
The role of tourism – 3% of GDP
In 2021, tourism has recovered strongly from the downturn caused by the pandemic. For the whole year, 30.04 million tourists visited Turkey, which is 85.5% more. Most of the tourists visited Turkey for the purpose of recreation, sports and cultural tourism.
Some of them came to Turkey to visit relatives and friends, to shop and receive medical care. Annual tourism revenue in 2021 increased by 103% to reach US$24.48 billion. This represents about 3.04% of Turkey’s gross domestic product ($802.67 billion).
In 2020, Turkey will rank 5th in international tourist arrivals and 11th in tourism revenue.
Health tourism is a significant market
Turkey is the destination of choice for many Europeans who want less expensive treatment. Last year, Turkish health tourism was very successful. In 2021, 642,444 people traveled to Turkey for medical care or treatment, which is only slightly less than in 2019 (662,087 people). In 2020, the number of wellness tourists dropped to 388,150 due to the pandemic.
In 2021, health tourism revenues will amount to nearly $1.05 billion. This represents 4.29% of Turkey’s tourism revenue.
Recovery in Istanbul
In February, the number of tourists who came to see the Turkish capital increased by 173% compared to February 2021. A total of 956,482 visitors were registered. The largest number of visitors in February came from Russia – 80,628 people. Russia is followed by Germany with 74,056, Iran with 68,940, France with 43,560, Kuwait with 39,000, England with 38,169, Israel with 30,614, Iraq with 26,985 and Ukraine with 26,000.
Main source markets in 2021:
Russia – 4.69 million visitors / 15.61% of the total
Germany – 3.09 million visitors / 10.29% of the total
Ukraine – 2.06 million visitors / 6.86% of the total
Bulgaria – 1.4 million visitors / 4.66% of the total
Iran – 1.15 million visitors / 3.83% of the total number of visitors.