Industry expert estimates that Türkiye could attract up to 800 million tourists over the next ten years by boosting capacity and diversifying its offerings, according to the state-run Anadolu agency Wednesday.
Oya Narin, president of the Turkish Tourism Investors Association, said achieving this ambitious goal would require upgrading and diversifying current capacity by creating different tourism areas.
Türkiye already offers a variety of tourism options, including beach, health, and cultural tourism. Sector insiders have been working to expand the range, such as by promoting senior and culinary tourism, Narin added.
Narin also said the industry expected tourism to account for 7.5 percent of the gross national product by 2028, up from the current 5.5 percent, and the tourism revenue to reach 100 billion U.S. dollars.
The Culture and Tourism Ministry said Türkiye’s tourism target for 2023 was 60 million foreign visitors, generating 55.6 billion dollars in income.
Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said recently that Türkiye was close to meeting the 2023 targets despite the challenges of twin earthquakes in the south in February and the Israel-Palestine crisis.
The ministry’s latest data showed that Türkiye had attracted 52.7 million tourists in the first 11 months of this year. ■
