Tourism direct GVA (2024) | Tourism direct employment (2024) | Travel exports (2024) |
|---|---|---|
5.1% of total GVA (down 0.2 percentage point since 2023) | 3.7% of total employment (up 0.3 percentage points since 2023) | 49% of total service exports (up 2.2 percentage points since 2023) |
OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2026
National tourism strategy: Türkiye Tourism Master Plan 2024–2028
Responsible government agency: Ministry of Culture and Tourism
National tourism budget: N/A
Key tourism policy priorities and actions:
Monitoring tourism’s carbon footprint – Developing a free carbon footprint calculator module which is accessible to accommodation managers and links to sustainable tourism certification schemes.
Certifying sustainable tourism – Setting criteria for a progressive, three stage certification system and mandating compliance for accommodation businesses through the Türkiye Environmental and Cultural Sustainability Program.
Increasing tourism revenues – Working to increase the number of tourists in Türkiye and the share of world tourism revenues, with a goal to reach USD 100 billion in tourism revenue by 2028.
Tourism is a key contributor to Türkiye’s economy. In 2024, tourism directly accounted for 5.1% of the national GVA. Tourism-related employment accounted for 3.7% of total employment in 2024, up from 3.4% in 2023, while travel exports represented 49% of total service exports.
Tourism revenues reached a record USD 65.2 billion in 2025, increasing from USD 61.1 billion in 2024. In 2026, tourism revenues are estimated to reach around USD 68 billion, representing growth of approximately 4.3% over the previous year. Türkiye aims to achieve USD 100 billion in tourism revenue by the end of 2028. There were 64 million international visitors in 2025, an increase of 2.7% compared to 2024. The top three source markets were the Russian Federation (10.8%), Germany (10.6%), and the United Kingdom (6.5%).
Domestic tourism continues to recover from the significant impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, Türkiye recorded 66.8 million domestic tourists, an 8.7% increase compared to 2023, but still 14.5% below the pre-pandemic high of 78.2 million domestic overnight trips.
In Türkiye, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism is responsible for tourism policy. Its duties are to investigate, develop, protect, maintain, evaluate, disseminate and promote tourism as determined by the Presidential Organisation Law No: 1 (2018).
One of main units of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, whose duties and responsibilities are determined in the Presidential Organisation Law No: 1 (2018) is the General Directorate of Promotion. The main duties of the General Directorate of Promotion are to promote Türkiye's historical, touristic, cultural and natural values of Türkiye both within the country and abroad by using all possible means, to increase the market share and the number of visitors coming to Türkiye.
The Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency is responsible for developing strategies and promoting Türkiye as a brand and a popular destination to both domestic and international tourism markets; discovering, developing and promoting natural, cultural and heritage assets; boosting the tourism capacity of Türkiye by increasing tourism investments in the national economy and raising the quality of service through communication and marketing activities. Operating under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Agency is subject to private law provisions.
The Ministry works closely with the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies, Touristic Hotels and lnvestors Association, Hoteliers Federation, Turkish Tourism lnvestors Association and the Union of Tourist Guides’ Chambers to plan tourism and address specific issues. The Investment Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye also promotes Türkiye’s investment opportunities to the global business community and assists investors.
Türkiye has 81 Provincial Culture and Tourism offices that work to conserve historical, cultural and natural heritage, diversify tourism, and promote their regions through cultural events, festivals and fairs.
Source: OECD, adapted from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 2026.
The Türkiye Tourism Master Plan 2024-2028 provides a comprehensive roadmap to achieve sustainable and inclusive tourism growth in Türkiye for both public and private sector actors. The Plan aims to enhance Türkiye’s competitiveness in the global tourism market, increase tourism revenues, support long-term development by balancing the environmental and socio-cultural impacts of tourism, and provide inclusive guidance for all stakeholders. The Plan is aligned with Türkiye’s 12th Development Plan. The Tourism Master Plan is also supported by individual tourism master plans in many provinces, which focus on the unique tourism products of each province and are typically commissioned by local authorities. While the themes are shaped according to local tourism potential, these plans are designed in alignment with the overarching framework of the Türkiye Tourism Master Plan.
The Türkiye Environmental and Cultural Sustainability Program, launched in 2022, has now been implemented across all 81 provinces of Türkiye, establishing a strong and inclusive national structure for sustainable tourism practices. The verification or certification is granted to accommodation facilities that meet international standards in terms of economic, environmental and social sustainability. One of the main challenges was to develop a practical and internationally aligned set of criteria that could be applied across all 81 provinces, each with distinct economic, cultural, and geographical characteristics. To address this, a three-stage consultation process was conducted with the participation of sector representatives and relevant stakeholders, with the criteria categorised from the easiest to implement to the most complex and investment-intensive.
This staged-based system enabled the creation of an inclusive business model that applies to all accommodation facilities, regardless of size or capacity. Facilities with adequate infrastructure can meet all 42 criteria aligned with Global Sustainable Tourism Council standards and earn the “3rd Stage Sustainable Tourism Certificate”, while those meeting 14 criteria receive the “1st Stage Verification,” and those meeting 29 criteria receive the “2nd Stage Verification.” Each stage is structured to support gradual compliance and facilitate sector-wide adaptation. In efforts to continually improve sustainability practices, Türkiye has required all accommodation facilities to obtain at least a 2nd Stage Verification by 31 December 2025. The aim is to gradually extend this requirement to a 3rd Stage Certification for all facilities within a five-year period.
As of 18 May 2026, a total of 18 809 active facilities had obtained verification or certification under the programme. This includes 381 facilities with 1st Stage Verification, 16 054 facilities with 2nd Stage Verification and 2 374 facilities holding the 3rd Stage GSTC Certification.
Measuring and monitoring the carbon footprint of tourism businesses, a requirement under the Environmental and Cultural Sustainability Program, has been a key challenge for tourism businesses in Türkiye (see box below). To address this issue and enhance industry participation, the Türkiye developed a free carbon footprint calculator module accessible by authorised facility managers. Through this module, registered businesses can measure and monitor their carbon footprint at no cost and use the data to improve their operational processes in line with sustainability criteria. The calculator has been designed to accommodate the diverse characteristics of accommodation facilities by considering factors such as total floor area, number of rooms, meeting spaces, climate-controlled areas, occupancy rates, and staff zones. It also allows the input of various energy sources, including electricity, natural gas, liquid and solid fuels, and renewable energy generation or consumption.
Under the Türkiye Environmental and Cultural Sustainability Program, a comprehensive system has been established to support accommodation facilities in meeting key sustainability performance indicators. Recognising that carbon footprint measurement is a fundamental part of sustainability monitoring, Türkiye has developed a free Carbon Footprint Calculator Module accessible to all authorised accommodation facilities.
This digital tool was designed to make data collection and reporting easier, enabling businesses to measure and monitor their carbon emissions accurately and consistently. It considers the physical characteristics of each facility, including total floor area, number of rooms, meeting spaces, climate-controlled areas, occupancy rates, and staff zones, as well as energy inputs such as electricity, natural gas, liquid and solid fuels, and renewable energy generation or consumption.
The calculator automatically converts these data into standardised carbon emission values, providing both total and per-guest emission metrics. Facilities can use this information to track performance over time, identify high-consumption areas, and implement targeted emission reduction strategies.
The results generated by the module are integrated into the Türkiye Environmental and Cultural Sustainability Program’s verification and certification framework, allowing facilities to demonstrate compliance with sustainability criteria more efficiently. Ultimately, this tool enhances the overall monitoring, transparency, and accountability of the tourism sector, supporting Türkiye’s national goal of achieving full alignment with international sustainability standards by 2030.