by Burak Akinci
ANKARA, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye's tourism sector is set for a record-breaking year in 2024, with industry experts predicting unprecedented growth in both visitor numbers and revenue.
In the first nine months of 2024, Türkiye hosted 49.2 million visitors, generating 46.9 billion U.S. dollars in revenue. This marks a 9 percent increase in visitor numbers and a 7 percent rise in revenue compared to the same period last year, according to the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
The figures for the initial three quarters are the highest in Türkiye's history, according to Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy in a press briefing in Istanbul on Oct. 31. "We are on track to surpass our year-end target of 60 million visitors," he said.
The country has seen remarkable growth in tourists from the United States, China, and South Korea. By September, over 312,000 Chinese visitors had arrived, marking an 84 percent increase from the previous year, according to the ministry.
Murat Toktas, vice president of the Turkish Hoteliers Federation, attributed the strong performance in part to steady foreign arrivals during the winter months.
He said that Turkish travel agencies have developed low-season travel packages to break the seasonality barrier in tourism, especially for Mediterranean resorts during the winter months.
Antalya, a Mediterranean tourist hotspot, attracts over 30,000 tourists daily, many of them European pensioners. Its year-round mild climate and competitive prices make it an attractive destination. Recep Yavuz, chairman of the Antalya City Council's Tourism Working Group, expected the city to "end this year with around 17 million foreign arrivals," compared to 15.7 million in 2023.
"Britain and Germany, which send millions of tourists each year to the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts, are key markets now promoting Türkiye as a year-round destination," Esra Demir, a travel agency associate from the Ankara-based Sun Tours, told Xinhua.
Despite high inflation rates hovering around 50 percent, which may deter visitors on a budget, booking statistics signal that the strong trend witnessed during the summer season will continue during November and December, according to Demir.
Demir highlights the importance of Türkiye expanding its tourism offerings beyond the traditional focus on "sun, sea, and sand" vacations, which primarily attract beachgoers during the summer.
"Tourists' behavior is changing around the world, and Türkiye needs to respond to these changes by promoting its history, gastronomy and culture," she added. ■
