As the 6th most popular tourist destination in the world and attracting more than 51.2 million tourists in 2019, Turkey continues to present vast investment opportunities in both the established and newly-developing subsectors of the tourism industry.
With its favorable location, existing potential, mega projects, and ambitious targets set for 2023, the tourism sector continues to grow at a rate that outstrips its bed capacity. Even though there has been a surge of investments in the last several years, there is still ample room for new ventures. Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia both have untapped potential for cultural tourism as well as the increasingly popular boutique hotel concept, which blends well with the characteristic nature, history, and culture of the regions.
In 2019, Turkey was the 6th most popular tourist destination in the world according to UNWTO.
According to the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, the number of international tourist arrivals in Turkey in 2019 was 51.2 million, while international tourism receipts were USD 29.8 billion.
In 2020, international visitors to Turkey totaled 15.9 million, with tourism earnings totaling USD 12.1 billion, according to the figures from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
In 2020, average spending per visitor grew by 14.5 percent to USD 762 when compared to 2019.
With regard to religious tourism, Turkey is among the few countries in the world that is home to sites from a number of major religions, including Islam, Christianity and Judaism.
Antalya is the most preferred city in Turkey for international visitors with 33.3 million overnight stays in 2020. In its center and surrounding towns such as Kemer, Belek, and Kaş, Antalya has over 500 4-star and 5-star hotels.
The number of operational hotel chains in Turkey is 60, with 44 of these being domestically owned, and 16 of these being internationally owned. The number of hotels in these 60 chains in Turkey totals 942, while the number of rooms totals 177,785.
Turkey has 8,300 km of coastline and ranks 3rd globally with its 519 blue-flag beaches.
In terms of geothermal tourism potential, Turkey is among the top seven countries in the world and ranks 1st in Europe with its 1,500 thermal springs. Bed capacity in the various thermal spa resorts has reached a combined 100,000.
The Belek region stands out as the most significant golf destination in Türkiye, ranking among the world’s most popular tourism centers with 27 golf courses, more than 70,000-bed capacity, and around 2 million tourist arrivals.
Turkey ranked the 7th place among the top 10 European countries for tourism FDI between 2016 and 2020 with 36 FDI projects, according to fDi Intelligence’s Tourism Investment Report 2021.
The Turkish government offers incentives such as reduced utility prices and reduced tax rates, while also pursuing policies aimed at eliminating any bureaucratic barriers that may hinder growth in the tourism sector.
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