Türkiye aims to become one of the top three travel destinations in the world by 2028, a senior official said Monday, also stressing efforts to extend the tourism season and enhance the appeal of the country's cultural, historical and archaeological sites.
Foreign arrivals hit a record 49.2 million in 2023, up from 44.6 million in 2022. Visitors from Russia and Europe, mainly Germany and the United Kingdom, drove the increase.
Combined with nearly 7.5 million Turkish citizens living abroad, the number of visitors rose to 56.7 million.
The government expects arrivals to reach 60 million this year, a figure that Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said is aimed to be lifted to approximately 80 million by 2028.
"When I took office, we ranked seventh in the world; now we are in fourth place. Our goal now is to enter the top three," Ersoy said of the world's most visited countries.
"When you talk about entering the top three, the number increases by 20 million. It's such an ambitious number. We have important competitors like China, the U.S., Spain and France," the minister told an event in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa.
"We recently surpassed Italy to reach fourth place. Our goal is to attract around 80 million visitors by 2028 and enter the top three."
The foreign exchange makes tourism vital to Türkiye, which is keen to flip current account deficits to a surplus, prioritizing exports, production and investments while curbing rising inflation.
Tourism income climbed to an all-time high of $54.32 billion (TL 1.75 trillion) last year, according to official data, compared to $46.48 billion in 2022.
The income is envisaged to rise to $60 billion this year and $100 billion by 2028.
Türkiye's revenue per tourist reached $93 per night in 2023, with a target of $103 this year and $130 by 2028.
Ersoy attributed these goals to a strategic diversification of markets and products to make the tourism sector more resilient.
"In the past, any crisis would cause fluctuations in tourism. Despite the geopolitical challenges and conflicts surrounding us, we have managed to rise from seventh to fourth place globally," he noted.
Ersoy highlighted Türkiye's progress and its goal to diversify and extend the tourism season beyond the traditional sun, sea and sand attractions.
"We aim to spread tourism across all 12 months, focusing on cultural and archaeological tourism," Ersoy stated.
He emphasized the need to cater to a broader range of tourists, particularly those from Asia who might not be drawn to traditional beach vacations.
"Asian tourists use umbrellas for sun protection, not sunbathing. We're targeting this market with collaborative projects with Turkish Airlines," he said. "We also aim to attract high-quality Western tourists by promoting city and cultural tourism, particularly in Istanbul."
To achieve these, Türkiye plans to highlight its cultural and archaeological sites, especially in the eastern and southeastern regions, moving away from a purely coastal focus.
"By showcasing our cultural heritage, we ensure tourism reaches all 81 provinces, not just the coastal areas," Ersoy added.
He stressed the importance of diversifying both the market and the tourism products offered.
"We expanded our target destinations to every location where Turkish Airlines flies. This shift from relying on a few countries to over 330 cities ensures that we can mitigate risks by balancing different markets and products," the minister explained.