London, UK: The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) 2024 Economic Impact Research (EIR) has revealed Türkiye’s Travel & Tourism sector broke all records last year, reaching new milestones across four key metrics.
In 2023, the sector contributed TRY 3.11TN to the economy, accounting for 12% of total GDP. This is a significant increase of almost 30% from the previous peak in 2019.
The sector also supported more than 3.2MN jobs, representing one in 10 jobs across the country, and more than 18% above the 2019 high point.
International and domestic visitor spending also exceeded their previous records, reaching TRY 1.68TN and TRY 761.3BN respectively.
International visitor spending has surpassed its 2019 record by almost 36% and domestic visitor spending broke its previous record, from 2018, by almost 24%.
Looking Ahead
The sector is forecast to continue breaking records in 2024, with GDP contribution set to reach almost 12.5% of the country’s economy.
Jobs supported by Travel & Tourism are projected to surpass 3.3MN and spend from international and domestic visitors is also anticipated to set new records.
According to WTTC’s latest research, spending from international visitors could reach more than TRY 1.7TN next year, and spending from domestic visitors could reach almost TRY 799BN.
In an effort to continue growing its crucial Travel & Tourism sector, Türkiye’s Government is considering introducing nomad visas, aimed at expanding its potential for longer stays and in turn increasing visitor spending.
Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said; “As the world’s fifth most popular destination, Travel & Tourism in Türkiye is more than just a sector, it's an integral part of the nation's economy, fuelling growth, investment, and new jobs.
“We congratulate the national government's efforts to place Travel & Tourism at the heart of decision-making, recognising its critical role in the country's economy.”
What does the next decade look like?
The outlook for the next ten years forecasts a decade of growth.
By 2034, the sector is expected to contribute more than TRY 4TN to the economy annually, whilst jobs are projected to reach almost 3.75MN.
The next decade is poised to be a period of remarkable growth and transformation for Türkiye's Travel & Tourism sector.
For more information, please visit wttc.org
See the Türkiye Economic Impact data on the WTTC Research Hub
Editors Notes
This cutting-edge research was carried out in partnership with Oxford Economics with information sourced from UN Tourism (formerly UNWTO), Oxford Economics and authoritative national databases. All values are in constant 2023 prices and exchange rates, as reported in March 2024, and given in TRY.