Tourism

As a country full of traces of various cultures that have influenced their time and geography, Turkey has a cultural heritage with roots going as deep as the first civilizations ever recorded in history. Home to a mosaic of people that have built empires, the country’s riches are so extraordinarily diverse that visitors can experience a modern way of life, while at the same time catching a glimpse of the distant past.

All this makes Turkey a land that shaped history, where the sea meets the mountains and where cultures meet each other. For this reason, Turkey is increasingly regarded as one of the most popular holiday destinations by people who are seeking a perfect combination of nature, history and culture.

• Turkey was visited by 27.3 million tourists in 2009 and by 28.5 million tourists in 2010. With this number of tourists, Turkey ranked the 7th and 6th most visited country in the world respectively in 2009 and 2010.
• Turkey received USD 21.3 billion of tourism revenue in 2009, and USD 20.8 billion in 2010.
• The tourism sector’s target is to be among the top five countries in the world in terms of attracting the highest number of tourists and receiving the highest amount of tourism revenue by 2023.
• Istanbul was the “European Capital of Culture” in 2010.
• With 9 million arrivals, Antalya is the 5th most visited city in the world and Istanbul is the 9th most visited city, as of 2009. (Euromonitor International)
• Istanbul is the 7th most popular destination with 109 congresses and conventions held in 2010. (International Congress and Convention Association - ICCA)

• Turkish Airlines was selected as the “Best Airline of Southern Europe” in 2010. (Skytrax World Airline Awards)
• Turkish Airlines was awarded the “World's Best Economy Class Onboard Catering” in 2010. (Skytrax World Airline Awards)
• Ankara Esenboga Airport was selected as the best airport in Europe in the “5-10 million passenger” category in 2009. (Airports Council International - ACI)
• Istanbul Ataturk Airport was selected as the “Best Airport in Southern Europe” in 2010. (Skytrax World Airline Awards)
• In 2010, the number of airline passengers in Turkey exceeded 102 million.
• In terms of geothermal tourism potential, Turkey is among the top seven countries in the world and ranks 2nd in Europe with its 1,300 thermal springs. Bed availability in thermal vacation resorts has reached 35,000.

In Turkey, there are 20 ski centers, 14 golf courses and around 40 marinas. Within the framework of the “Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage”, which came into force in 1983, there are 878 cultural or natural sites worldwide registered in the World Heritage List as of 2008. Nine of these sites (the Historic Areas of Istanbul, the City of Safranbolu, Hattushash (Bogazkoy)-the Hittite Capital, Mt. Nemrut, Xanthos-Letoon, the Great Mosque and Hospital of Divrigi, the legendary city of Troy, Pamukkale-Hierapolis and Goreme National Park in Cappadocia) are listed as both cultural and natural heritage sites.