Istanbul welcomes 2.5M foreign visitors in two months

According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the number of foreign visitors to Istanbul increased by 8.08% compared to the same period last year. Istanbul, which hosted half of the 4,341,606 foreign visitors to Turkey in the first two months, was most popular with Russians in February.

In February, Istanbul saw a 19.14% increase in foreign visitors compared to the same month last year, welcoming 1,291,522 guests and becoming a driving force in Turkish tourism.

The top visitors to Istanbul in February came from the Russian Federation (138,957), Germany (95,465), Iran (75,312), the United Kingdom (56,430), France (48,902), Saudi Arabia (43,415), and the United States (41,472).

Istanbul Airport: The Top Choice for Visitors

Istanbul Airport was the preferred entry point for those visiting the city.

Last month, 904,642 foreign visitors chose Istanbul Airport, accounting for 70.27% of all foreign tourist arrivals. Sabiha Gökçen Airport, the second most popular gateway, saw 381,508 foreign tourists.

The number of foreign visitors arriving in Istanbul by air increased by 19.17% to 1,287,290 compared to the same month in 2023. Additionally, the number of foreigners arriving in Istanbul by sea reached 4,232 in the last month, an increase of 11.19% over the same month the previous year.