Turkey Shifts Focus from Tourist Numbers to Revenue per Visitor, Travel Insider Says

Turkey is recalibrating its tourism playbook, aiming to boost earnings from each traveler rather than just chasing higher visitor counts. A travel agent in Ankara, Ayşenur Öztekin, told reporters that while Russia will remain a vital source of tourists, the industry must aggressively court new markets to ensure long-term, profitable growth.

“Russia will keep its strategic importance for Turkish tourism,” Öztekin said. “But under our strategy through 2040, Turkey needs to move more aggressively into markets like China, India, and the Gulf states. The industry requires higher revenues and sustainable growth.” She warned that rising operational costs, currency fluctuations, and intensifying global competition are squeezing profit margins for travel companies.

Going forward, Öztekin argued, a destination’s competitiveness won’t be measured by how many guests it welcomes, but by how much value it can extract from each one. China, India, and the Gulf nations are seen as the most promising target markets over the next 15 years. To attract these travelers, Turkey needs to expand flight connections and develop new tourism offerings. She also noted that geopolitical tensions—including the war in Ukraine and instability in the Middle East—continue to weigh on global travel. Russia remains Turkey’s largest overseas market: in 2025, 6.9 million Russian tourists visited, up nearly 3% from the previous year, putting Russia ahead of Germany and the UK.