Russia Overtakes Germany as Türkiye’s Largest Tourism Market as 34.8 Million Foreign Visitors Arrive in 2026

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Russia became Türkiye’s biggest market in tourism in 2026 after almost 4.72 million Russians visited, while the total number of international visitors to Türkiye for the year was almost 34.8 million.

There was a small decline of -1.84% in the number of international tourist arrivals in Turkey between January and August of 2026, as reported by the Culture and Tourism Ministry on September 25. The ministry reported that 34,831,662 international tourists visited Turkey within this time frame.

The latest figures show that Türkiye continued to attract millions of travellers from major global markets, although several key source countries reported softer demand compared with the same period in 2025. While overall arrivals decreased slightly, the country maintained strong visitor flows from Europe, Russia and neighbouring regions.

In August 2026, Türkiye welcomed 6.96 million international visitors, with arrivals remaining almost unchanged compared with the previous year. The monthly figure represented a marginal decline of 0.03 percent, highlighting continued resilience during the peak summer travel season.

Russia Remains Türkiye’s Largest International Tourism Market

Russia maintained its position as Türkiye’s biggest foreign visitor market during the first eight months of 2026. The country generated 4.72 million arrivals, accounting for 13.55 percent of all foreign visitors during the January–August period.

Russian visitor numbers increased compared with the same period in 2025, when Türkiye welcomed around 4.55 million travellers from the market. The growth demonstrated the continued strength of Türkiye’s tourism links with Russia, particularly across popular coastal destinations.

Germany ranked as the second-largest source market, contributing 4.39 million visitors and representing 12.61 percent of total foreign arrivals. However, arrivals from Germany showed a slight decrease compared with the previous year, when the country recorded approximately 4.4 million visitors.

The United Kingdom remained Türkiye’s third-largest international tourism market. British travellers accounted for 2.71 million arrivals, representing 7.79 percent of total foreign visitor numbers during the eight-month period.

Iran and Bulgaria completed the top five source markets. Iran generated 1.91 million visitors, while Bulgaria contributed 1.74 million arrivals. However, both markets experienced reductions compared with January–August 2025.

Gulf Visitor Numbers Decline Across Several Key Markets

Türkiye recorded weaker visitor numbers from several Gulf countries during the first eight months of 2026, with some markets experiencing significant declines compared with the previous year.

Kuwait recorded the sharpest decrease among Gulf markets. Arrivals from Kuwait dropped by 43.5 percent year-on-year, reaching 92,354 visitors during the January–August period.

Visitor numbers from Bahrain also declined significantly, falling by 34.6 percent to 23,832 arrivals. The United Arab Emirates recorded a 32.1 percent decrease, with visitor numbers reaching 45,833 travellers.

Qatar also saw fewer visitors travelling to Türkiye, with arrivals declining by 26.1 percent year-on-year to 28,524 visitors.

Despite a decline, Saudi Arabia continued to remain Türkiye’s largest Gulf tourism market. The country generated 612,038 visitors during January–August 2026. This represented an 11.1 percent decrease compared with the 688,040 arrivals recorded during the same period in 2025.

The changing Gulf market trends reflect shifting travel patterns across the region, with Türkiye continuing to attract significant numbers of visitors while facing softer demand from several individual markets.

Istanbul Leads Türkiye’s Tourism Performance During First Eight Months

Among Türkiye’s destinations, Istanbul continued to dominate international tourism demand during the January–August period of 2026.

The country’s largest city welcomed 12.47 million foreign visitors, representing 35.82 percent of Türkiye’s total international arrivals.

Known for its historic landmarks, cultural attractions, shopping districts and international air connectivity, Istanbul remained the main gateway for travellers entering Türkiye.

Antalya ranked as the second most visited destination, attracting 10.28 million international visitors during the same period. The Mediterranean destination continued to benefit from strong demand for coastal holidays, luxury resorts and beach tourism.

Other destinations completing Türkiye’s top five most visited provinces were Edirne, Muğla and İzmir. These destinations continued to draw international travellers through their combination of heritage attractions, coastal experiences and tourism infrastructure.

Antalya Becomes Top Destination During Peak Summer Month

Although Istanbul led overall visitor numbers between January and August, Antalya became Türkiye’s most popular destination in August 2026.

The Mediterranean province welcomed 2.52 million foreign visitors during the month, accounting for 36.24 percent of Türkiye’s total international arrivals in August.

Antalya’s strong summer performance was supported by its internationally recognised beaches, resort areas and extensive accommodation capacity. The destination remains one of Türkiye’s most important tourism centres, particularly during the high-demand summer travel season.

Istanbul ranked second in August with 1.93 million foreign visitors, continuing to attract travellers interested in city tourism, cultural experiences and historical attractions.

Muğla placed third with 642,849 international arrivals, supported by its popular coastal destinations, including resort areas along the Aegean coastline.

Edirne and İzmir completed the August top five rankings. Edirne welcomed 485,468 visitors, while İzmir recorded 240,212 international arrivals.

Türkiye Maintains Strong Global Tourism Appeal Despite Market Changes

The January–August 2026 tourism figures indicate that Türkiye remains one of the world’s leading international travel destinations, attracting tens of millions of visitors despite fluctuations in several important markets.

The country continued to benefit from strong demand from Russia and major European markets, while Istanbul and Antalya maintained their positions as key tourism hubs.

Although some regions and source markets experienced declines, Türkiye’s diverse tourism offering, including cultural heritage, Mediterranean resorts, historical attractions and urban experiences, continued to support international visitor demand.

With millions of travellers arriving during the first eight months of the year, Türkiye’s tourism sector remains a major contributor to the country’s international connectivity and hospitality economy.

Conclusion

Türkiye’s tourism sector continued to look attractive to international tourists in 2026. Although the total number of international tourist arrivations decreased between January and August, 2026, compared to the same period in 2025, other international tourism markets shifted to Türkiye. In 2026, the International Tourism Market of Türkiye was headed by the markets of Russia and Germany. In 2026, the market of Germany ranked second after Russia.

The cities of Istanbul and Antalya were the most preferred tourist destinations of international tourists. These two cities were rich in cultural tourism. Other international markets in the Gulf region showed a downward trend, but Türkiye maintained tourism arrivals from international markets in Europe, Asia and neighboring countries.

Türkiye was ranked among the firsts in international tourism for 2026, especially for cultural and leisure tourism. International tourism arrivals to Türkiye was expected to further increase in 2027.