Türkiye’s Hotel Occupancy Rebounds Sharply in April, Boosting Tourism Outlook for 2025

Türkiye’s vital tourism industry recorded a major recovery in April 2025, with hotel occupancy rates surging after a notable slump in March, according to new data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The rebound signals growing momentum ahead of the peak summer season, with officials projecting another record-breaking year for the sector.

The overall hotel occupancy rate in licensed accommodation facilities jumped to 41.12% in April, up from 26.79% in March and 39.74% in April 2024. This marked the strongest April performance since the COVID-19 pandemic and the highest occupancy level since November 2024.

Overnight Stays Reach All-Time April High

April also brought a surge in overnight stays, reaching 16.27 million, surpassing 14.63 million during the same month last year. Of those, 10.33 million came from foreign visitors, while 5.94 million were from domestic tourists.

In the January–April period, overnight stays climbed to 41.65 million, compared to 41.11 million during the same period in 2024. The average length of stay also edged up to 2.48 days, up from 2.44 days a year earlier.

The number of guests at accommodation facilities in April exceeded 6 million, nearly evenly split between international (2.96 million) and domestic (3.05 million) travelers. In total, 21.7 million guests were hosted during the first four months of 2025.

Despite April’s strength, overall occupancy for January–April remained slightly lower at 33.49%, compared to 34.36% last year.

Foreign Tourist Arrivals and Key Markets

Türkiye welcomed 12.75 million visitors in the first four months of 2025, including 10.59 million foreign nationals and 2.15 million Turkish citizens living abroad. While this marks a 0.6% decline from the same period in 2024, April arrivals alone rose over 8%, reaching 3.9 million, driven by early holiday travel and growing interest from key European markets.

Germany remained the top source of tourists, with 1.14 million visitors from January to April. It was followed by:

• Russia: 977,152 visitors

• Iran: 946,472 visitors

• Bulgaria and the United Kingdom completed the top five markets

In April alone, German arrivals surged by 31.32% year-over-year, reaching 571,042. Russia followed with 375,820 visitors, and the UK saw a 13.27% increase, reaching 373,922 travelers.

2025 Tourism Outlook: 65M Visitors, $64B Revenue Target

The strong April rebound has improved confidence in Türkiye reaching its ambitious 2025 tourism goals:

• 65 million visitors

• $64 billion in tourism revenue

In 2024, Türkiye welcomed 52.6 million foreign tourists, exceeding the 2023 record of 49.2 million. Including Turkish citizens living abroad, that number rose to 62.3 million, making Türkiye the 4th most visited country in the world, per UNWTO data.

Tourism remains a cornerstone of Türkiye’s economy, contributing approximately 10% of GDP and 5% of total employment. The sector is also a key lever in reducing the current account deficit.

Tourism income reached a record $61.1 billion in 2024, up 8.3% from 2023, which previously stood at $54.3 billion.