Turkey received 34.8 million foreign visitors between January and August 2026, a 1.84% drop from 35.5 million in the same period last year, according to Ministry of Culture and Tourism data reported on September 29.
August alone brought in nearly 7 million foreign visitors, almost exactly in line with August 2025 (down 0.03%).
Antalya leads in summer
Antalya was the busiest entry point in August, with more than 2.5 million foreign arrivals, or 36.24% of the total. Istanbul followed with 1.9 million.
Over the first eight months, Istanbul remained the leader with nearly 12.5 million foreign visitors (35.82% of the total), while Antalya welcomed about 10.3 million (29.52%).
Where visitors come from
Russia was the largest source market in January-August, with 4.7 million visitors, up 3.59% on last year. Germany followed with 4.4 million (down 0.2%) and the United Kingdom with 2.7 million (down 9.6%). Iran and Bulgaria completed the top five.
In August, arrivals from Russia rose 6.2% and from Iran 15.1%, while British arrivals fell 7.5%.
Outlook
The figures suggest a stable but not growing season after several record years. The autumn shoulder season, when coastal resorts such as Antalya, Fethiye and Bodrum stay warm, will determine whether 2026 closes near last year's totals.
Sources
- Türkiye Today: Russia, Germany lead foreign arrivals as visitor numbers edge down
- Trading Economics: Turkey tourist arrivals almost flat YoY in August
Photo: Moonik / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
