Turkey’s Tourism Struggles in 2025: European Market Slumps, Industry Eyes 2024 Numbers as a ‘Success’
Turkey’s tourism sector is facing a challenging 2025, especially in key European markets like Germany, the UK, and Italy. Industry professionals now say that simply reaching 2024’s visitor numbers by the end of this year would already be considered an achievement.
Tourist Arrivals Drop While Competitors Grow
According to the Turkish General Directorate of Security, foreign tourist arrivals in July fell by 4.97% compared to the same month last year, totaling 6.97 million. Over the January–July period, the cumulative drop was 2.1%.
Meanwhile, competitor destinations are seeing growth. Spain posted a 3% increase, and Greece grew by 0.58% during the same period — a stark contrast to Turkey’s decline.
Why Is Turkey Losing Tourists?
Industry representatives point to multiple factors behind the drop. High prices in Turkey are seen as a key reason the country is losing its appeal. Changing travel preferences and the rise of alternative destinations like Thailand and Egypt are also contributing to the shift. With these pressures, industry experts say even maintaining last year’s figures would be a win.
Germany Sees Sharpest Decline, Domestic Travel Booms
Germany, traditionally Turkey’s top source market, saw the steepest decline. The number of German visitors dropped by 5.26%, as many opted for domestic travel due to rising costs abroad. Germany’s internal tourism hit a record with 42.8 million citizens traveling within the country.
The UK also saw a significant drop in arrivals to Turkey, down 9.65%. Other steep declines came from Italy (down 20.12%), the US (21.9%), and Iran (18.9%).
“We’re Swimming in Dangerous Waters”
Hamit Kuk, Chief Advisor to TÜRSAB (Association of Turkish Travel Agencies), warned that the 2% drop in the first seven months should not be underestimated. While countries like Spain, Greece, and Egypt are growing, Turkey is struggling to keep up.
“Hotels should have been fully booked in July, but occupancy only reached 70–80%. Prices were revised, yet profitability is down. If we can match 2024 numbers, we’ll be thankful. This situation isn’t sustainable for Turkish tourism. We need a new tourism manifesto because we’re still trying to compete using strategies from 40 years ago,” Kuk said.
He also emphasized that Turkey’s image as an “expensive destination” is hurting the sector. Kuk called for broader action, not just from tourism professionals but also from economic policymakers, citing alarming price hikes:
Between 2020 and 2025, the Turkish lira lost about 450% of its value. In the same period, the price of staples like legumes, milk, and meat rose between 600% and 1200%. Meat supplied to hotels alone saw a 1200% price jump — far outpacing inflation and currency depreciation.
“2025 Will Be a Year Without Profit”
Burhan Sili, head of ALTİD (Alanya Touristic Operators Association), acknowledged that growth in secondary markets like Poland has helped soften the blow from losses in primary markets, but competition is intensifying. He noted that travelers now prefer shorter, experience-driven vacations rather than long traditional holidays.
“The exchange rate policy, combined with excessive cost increases and weakening demand in key markets, is squeezing profit margins. 2025 is shaping up to be a year without profit,” Sili stated.
Kazakhs Down, Ukrainians Up
Kaan Kavaloğlu, President of AKTOB (Mediterranean Touristic Hoteliers Association), shared that while Turkish visitor numbers to Antalya rose by 7.5% in the first seven months of 2025, foreign arrivals dipped 1.3%.
Among the top 10 source markets, Kazakhstan showed the sharpest decline with a 12% drop, while Ukraine showed the strongest growth at 22%. Kavaloğlu noted that if peace is restored in Ukraine, the country could become one of Turkey’s top five tourism markets.
Final Word:
With rising prices, shifting traveler preferences, and intensifying global competition, Turkey’s tourism sector faces serious headwinds in 2025. Industry leaders agree: if the country can even match 2024’s figures, it’ll be a victory — but without structural change, that may not be possible much longer.
