Türkiye Tourism Through September: Fewer Visitors, Record Revenue

ByMulti Mulk Newsdesk·Published on:1 November 2026·5 min read

Türkiye's tourism numbers for the third quarter point in two directions at once. Visitors are slightly down, but spending has pushed revenue to a record. For anyone weighing a holiday-home or rental-yield purchase, that mix is more useful than either number alone.

According to Daily Sabah, citing TurkStat and the Tourism Ministry, the number of visitors fell 1% year on year to 23.37 million in the third quarter, and total arrivals reached 49.13 million in January to September. Revenue was $25.5 billion in July to September and rose 2.4% to nearly $51.3 billion over the nine months. The same report says Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy expects 2026 revenue to top $65 billion.

The headline numbers

The 49.13 million figure includes Turkish citizens living abroad. The narrower foreign-visitor count comes from Tourism Ministry data. The table below uses figures reported by Daily Sabah and Türkiye Today.

Measure	Latest reported figure
Foreign visitors, September	6.11 million (+0.4% year on year)
Foreign visitors, January–September	40.93 million (−1.52%)
All visitors, July–September	23.37 million (−1%)
Tourism revenue, January–September	About $51.3 billion (+2.4%)
Average spend per night, all visitors	$107.7 (+4.6%)
Average spend per night, foreign visitors	$119.9

Türkiye Today attributes the revenue figure to the minister and notes that it came even as regional conflicts and higher energy prices weighed on international travel. Asharq Al-Awsat quotes Ersoy attributing the revenue to longer average stays and higher overnight spending. Outlets are not fully uniform, though: the same Asharq Al-Awsat report says average spending per visitor fell 9.6% over the nine months, so the per-visitor picture depends on the measure used. Treat the revenue record as firm and the spending detail as something to confirm in TurkStat's own release.

Aerial view of a resort beach with rows of parasols — Resort demand is seasonal, so occupancy evidence matters more than national averages. · Photo: oleg_mit / Pixabay

Where the visitors went

The regional split is the part that bears on property. Data reported by InstaForex from the ministry's September release shows Antalya with 35.88% of foreign arrivals (2.19 million), ahead of Istanbul at 31.18% (1.91 million). Muğla, Edirne and İzmir took 8.95%, 5.63% and 3.07%.

Over the first eight months, by contrast, Istanbul led with 12.47 million foreign visitors, or 35.82% of the total, with Antalya second at 10.28 million, according to Travel Daily News. The pattern is seasonal: the Mediterranean coast peaks in summer and Istanbul is steadier through the year. Resort markets therefore depend more on a short season, and a buyer relying on holiday-let income should read the data with that in mind.

Who is coming, and who is not

Russia remained the largest source in September with 979,647 arrivals, followed by Germany, Britain, Iran and Poland, Daily Sabah reports. For January to September, Türkiye Today lists Russia at 5.7 million, Germany at 5.17 million and the UK at 3.2 million.

Year-on-year moves differ sharply. InstaForex reports September arrivals from Russia up 0.9% and from Iran up 16.1%, while Germany fell 4.9%, the UK 10.9% and Poland 0.9%. A weaker UK and German showing is a reminder that rental demand in a resort district can lean on a few nationalities.

Galata Tower and the Istanbul waterfront at dusk — Istanbul was the most visited destination over the first eight months. · Photo: smuldur / Pixabay

What it means for a foreign buyer

Tourism data is a context indicator, not a forecast of property returns. Three points are worth drawing out.

Revenue and arrivals are diverging. Higher spend per night suggests visitors are staying longer or paying more, which is supportive for operators. It does not by itself show rising occupancy at the level of a single building.
Location is the variable. The gap between Antalya, Istanbul and Muğla in September shows how differently markets behave. A rental-led purchase deserves local occupancy and pricing evidence, not national averages.
Foreign demand for homes is moving separately. In September, home sales to foreigners rose 9.9% while total sales fell 9.3%, per a summary of TurkStat data. We covered that release in our September sales report. Buyers and visitors are not the same group.

The macro backdrop still matters. Tourism receipts are dollar income, which helps the external balance, and we looked at reserves in a recent piece on net reserves after the rate cut. The next inflation print is scheduled for 3 November, according to Trading Economics' calendar, which listed September at 29.73%.

Sunrise over a Turkish beach with folded parasols — Out-of-season occupancy is the test for a resort purchase. · Photo: AyşegülAytören / Pixabay

Questions to ask before buying for rental income

What was the building or district's actual occupancy across the whole year, not only July and August?
What share of guests came from a single nationality?
Do local rules and the building's management permit short-term lets?
What are the running costs, including management and maintenance fees, set against realistic rental income?

Multi Mulk advises on buying property in Türkiye, and its investor protection service covers due diligence on the seller and contract. For those considering the citizenship route, rules and thresholds change; Multi Mulk offers a free written eligibility review for Turkish citizenship by investment. None of this guarantees returns or approval, and your circumstances matter, so speak to an adviser before committing funds.

What to watch next

The October tourism bulletin and the October inflation print will show whether the autumn shoulder season holds up. Final TurkStat releases may also revise the quarterly figures reported here. Until then, the data supports a measured reading: Türkiye is earning more from fewer visitors, and the benefit is unevenly spread by place and season.

Sources

Cover photo: alihondavlat on Pixabay.