Number of international tourist arrivals in Turkey 2000-2021

The number of international visitors in Turkey increased significantly in 2021 over the previous year, following a sharp drop in 2020 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Overall, international tourists totaled 24.7 million in 2021, nearly doubling from 2020 but staying below the peak of 45 million inbound visitors recorded in 2019. Although it did not catch up yet with pre-pandemic figures, the volume of arrivals rose across all major inbound travel markets in Turkey in 2021. That year, travelers from Russia, Germany, and Ukraine accounted for the highest inbound arrivals.

International tourism reporting in Turkey

International visitor numbers are derived from registries kept by the Turkish Passport Police at the border gates and reported by Turkey’s Ministry of Tourism. Figures are for the number of inbound visitors arriving at Turkish borders for both overnight and same-day visits. They do not include citizens of Turkey that are resident abroad. Statistics including citizens resident abroad are reported under total inbound visitor arrivals.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic: the tourism drop in 2016, then the recovery

Tourism in Turkey suffered a major blow in 2016. International tourist numbers fell by 30 percent compared to the previous year, the lowest they had been since 2007. Several major terrorist attacks and an attempted coup in July 2016 had an immediate impact on the tourism industry. However, against the odds, the industry made a miraculous recovery, with tourists returning to Turkey in 2017 and numbers peaking at a record high in 2019.