The number of international visitors to Istanbul has increased by 8.08 percent compared to last year. During the first two months, Istanbul Airport welcomed over 50% of the 4,341,606 foreign visitors to Turkey.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism reported that Istanbul welcomed 1,291,522 international tourists in February, an increase of 19.14 percent from last year. It has become the driving force for Turkish tourism.
In February, Istanbul was visited by 138,957 people from the Russian Federation, making it the source market with the highest number of visitors. Germany came in second with 95,465 visitors, followed by Iran with 75,312 visitors. The UK was fourth with 56,430 visitors, and France came fifth with 48,902 visitors. Saudi Arabia and the United States of America followed with 43,415 and 41,472 visitors, respectively.
In February, Istanbul Airport was the top choice for foreign visitors coming to Istanbul, with 904,642 visitors preferring it. This represents 70.27% of the total number of foreign visitors who arrived in Istanbul by air in February.
Sabiha Gökçen Airport was the second most popular entry point for foreign visitors, with 381,508 visitors in February. This constitutes 29.64% of foreigners entering Istanbul by air.
Compared to the same month in 2023, the number of foreign visitors arriving in Istanbul by air increased by 19.17%, reaching 1,287,290. Additionally, the number of foreigners who arrived in Istanbul by sea in February was 4,232, representing an increase of 11.19% compared to the same month of the previous year.
