Türkiye surpasses Italy in tourism, rises to 4th place globally

By Yasemin Kalyoncuoglu

According to the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Türkiye surpassed Italy in the ranking of countries attracting the most foreign tourists in the world in 2024 with 56.7 million, rising to fourth place, the Turkish culture and tourism minister announced Tuesday.

Citing the UNWTO’s 2025 World Tourism Barometer data, which showed the top five countries for tourism are France, Spain, the US, Türkiye, and Italy, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said Türkiye continued its steady rise in the tourism field.

The total number of visitors to Türkiye in 2024 reached 62.3 million, including Turkish citizens living abroad, he said.

Ersoy said this significant achievement is the result of effectively promoting Türkiye's historical heritage and cultural richness, a strong infrastructure, and tourism diversity spanning all four seasons.

He stressed: “Türkiye is no longer just a country to be observed but a model to be followed in the tourism sector.”