Despite the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war over the past four years, Türkiye’s tourism industry has repeatedly broken records in visitor numbers and income. Now, Turkish tourism faces a new challenge: The war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran.
Türkiye, one of the world’s leading tourism destinations, targets $68 billion in tourism revenues for 2026
Erkan Yağcı, chairman of the Turkish Hoteliers Federation (TÜROFED), said: “We are currently analyzing good, moderate, and worst-case scenarios. We are planning how both the private sector and public institutions should act.”
“Our aim is to navigate this process with minimal damage. During the Russia-Ukraine war, Türkiye pursued a very balanced policy, and the same approach is being followed now,” he added.
Yağcı emphasized that even in the worst-case scenario, Türkiye would be among the least affected countries. “Türkiye has extensive know-how, long-standing international partnerships, and strong public-private sector cooperation. We should also remember that domestic tourism is very robust here. This season, the domestic market will again be strong,” he said.
Kaan Kavaloğlu, President of the Mediterranean Touristic Hoteliers and Operators Association (AKTOB), voiced concern over negative perceptions.
“There is a campaign portraying us as if we were at the epicenter of the war. This is very disturbing. Spain lifted all discounts as of March 1 and will enjoy a strong season. Greece, France, and Italy are also well-positioned. For us, a difficult period is beginning. April will be tough, but I believe the system will recover by May.”
Kavaloğlu added that Türkiye must adopt a more aggressive marketing strategy to counter these challenges.
