Turkey Tourism Can Reach $120 Billion by 2030, Says TTYD President Oya Narin
Post-Pandemic Global Tourism Enters a New Growth Era
Speaking at the opening of the 5th Tourism Investment Forum (TIF 2026), Turkey Tourism Investors Association (TTYD) President Oya Narin stated that global tourism has entered a sustainable growth trajectory in the post-pandemic era, and that Turkey is well positioned to capture a larger share of this expansion thanks to its strong performance.
Narin underlined that global tourist arrivals reached 1.4 billion in 2024 and are expected to rise to 1.52 billion in 2025, marking a new historical peak. She noted that the travel and tourism sector contributed $10.9 trillion to the global economy in 2024 and provided employment for 357 million people worldwide. Current projections indicate that by 2035, the sector’s economic contribution could reach $16.5 trillion, with employment rising to 462 million.
New Revenue Models and the Role of Tourism Residences
Highlighting the need for structural transformation in Turkish tourism, Narin shared new revenue model proposals, pointing out that the tourism residence model could become a significant income stream. She emphasized that increasing per-capita tourism revenue, rather than focusing solely on visitor numbers, is key to long-term sustainability.
Tourism Revenue Doubled in a Decade
Drawing attention to Turkey’s performance over the last ten years, Narin stated that tourism revenues increased from $31.5 billion in 2015 to $65.2 billion by 2025, representing a 107 percent increase. During the same period, the number of visitors rose from 41.6 million to 63.9 million, while average spending per visitor increased from $757 to $1,020.
Referring to TTYD’s “Transformation in Tourism” project, Narin said that with the right transformation program, Turkey’s tourism revenues could reach $120 billion by 2030.
The question is:
– Is this target realistic under current conditions?
– Should Turkey prioritize higher-spending, longer-stay visitors over volume?
– And can new models like tourism residences really make a difference, especially in coastal regions?
Keywords
#TurkeyTourism #TTYD #TourismInvestment #TIF2026 #TourismRevenue #GlobalTourism #TourismTransformation #TourismResidences
