Turkish tourism sees a drop in visits at the start of the summer season
Official data indicates a weaker start to key months for the Turkish market. Furthermore, a decline in foreign tourist arrivals was observed in May and throughout the first five months of this year.
Turkey The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has published the latest statistics, which show that 4.85 million foreign guests visited the country in May, representing a 3.58% decrease compared to the same period last year. This trend has also been reflected in the overall year-to-date figures. Specifically, from January to May, a total of 17.6 million visitors arrived in Turkey, of whom 15.22 million were foreign nationals. This represents a 2.56% year-on-year decrease.
Changes in the order of the emit market
Although in May itself, Russia led the list with over 701 thousand arrivals, closely followed by Germany (686 thousand) and Great Britain (493 thousand), at the level of the first five months, there was a change at the top. Germany took the leading position with 1.83 million visitors. Russia remained in second place with 1.73 million. Behind them were positioned the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, and Iran.
Dependence on a few key regions
Statistics clearly illustrate how the local tourism sector still structurally linked to a small number of traditional markets. The ministry has not provided an official explanation for the current slowdown in tourist dynamics at the start of the summer season. Nevertheless, the figures send a clear signal about a change in the rhythm of demand in one of the most important regional destinations.
