Turkey recorded 1,209,616 U.S. visitors in the first nine months of 2025, a 9.63% increase over the same period in 2024, according to TravelDailyNews, citing data from Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy. The figure marks the highest ever for U.S. tourism to the country.
Overall, Turkey welcomed 50 million foreign tourists in the January–September 2025 period, generating US$50 billion in tourism revenue, the minister said.
İstanbul remained the top destination for international visitors, with 13.5 million overseas arrivals in the first nine months. Other popular destinations for American tourists included Cappadocia, İzmir, and Bodrum on the Aegean-Mediterranean coast.
To sustain momentum, GoTürkiye launched a marketing campaign in October 2025 featuring an LED billboard in New York’s Times Square. The billboard, displayed for 12 months, is scheduled to run through approximately October 2026. Times Square sees an average of 300,000 daily visitors, rising to over 400,000 during the Christmas and New Year holidays, with about 1 million people gathering on December 31. Over 1 billion viewers worldwide watch the celebrations broadcast from the square.
Throughout the year, Turkey plans to continue promoting its major tourism brands, including Cappadocia, İstanbul Vibe, and TurkAegean, aiming to build on the growth in U.S. arrivals.
Why it matters
The sustained growth in U.S. arrivals underscores Turkey’s increasing appeal to long-haul travelers, a key segment for destination diversification. With the Times Square campaign still active in its final months, the country is likely to see continued exposure to a high-volume audience. The 9.63% rise from an already record 2024 suggests that marketing efforts and improved air connectivity may be yielding results. For travel trade professionals, the data points to robust demand for Turkey’s cultural and coastal destinations, which could influence package offerings and capacity planning for the upcoming seasons.
