In 2023, the number of international tourists visiting Istanbul peaked at 17.4 million. The number of foreign tourists arriving in Istanbul reached the second-highest value in 2019, at almost 15 million. Due to travel restrictions during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the number of foreign tourist arrivals in Istanbul fell dramatically in 2020, decreasing by a third compared to the previous year.
Considered as the economic, cultural, and historic capital, İstanbul offers numerous cultural activities for visitors. Hence, the largest city recorded the highest number of museums among all provinces in Turkey, with 86 public and private museums in 2022. That year, the Galata Tower became the most visited museum in İstanbul, welcoming over one million visitors. Built as a watch tower in the Byzantine period for the first time in the 13th century, the Galata Tower has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Temporary List since 2013.
Annual number of foreign tourist arrivals in Istanbul from 2014 to 2023
(in 1,000s)
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Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism. (April 18, 2024). Annual number of foreign tourist arrivals in Istanbul from 2014 to 2023 (in 1,000s) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved November 01, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1346671/istanbul-number-of-foreign-tourist-arrivals/
Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism. "Annual number of foreign tourist arrivals in Istanbul from 2014 to 2023 (in 1,000s)." Chart. April 18, 2024. Statista. Accessed November 01, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1346671/istanbul-number-of-foreign-tourist-arrivals/
Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism. (2024). Annual number of foreign tourist arrivals in Istanbul from 2014 to 2023 (in 1,000s). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: November 01, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1346671/istanbul-number-of-foreign-tourist-arrivals/
Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism. "Annual Number of Foreign Tourist Arrivals in Istanbul from 2014 to 2023 (in 1,000s)." Statista, Statista Inc., 18 Apr 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1346671/istanbul-number-of-foreign-tourist-arrivals/
Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, Annual number of foreign tourist arrivals in Istanbul from 2014 to 2023 (in 1,000s) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1346671/istanbul-number-of-foreign-tourist-arrivals/ (last visited November 01, 2024)
Annual number of foreign tourist arrivals in Istanbul from 2014 to 2023 (in 1,000s) [Graph], Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, April 18, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1346671/istanbul-number-of-foreign-tourist-arrivals/