UK Tourism Market Research Data: Turkey
At a glance
- UK received 323,000 visits from Turkey in 2024, generating record expenditure of £381.7 million at £1,180 average per visit.
- Turkish tourists rank UK sixteenth globally by nation brand perception; top-rated for cultural heritage, historic buildings, culture and sport.
- Air capacity on non-stop Turkey–UK routes exceeded 2019 pre-pandemic levels by 86% in 2025; 93% of 2024 visitors travelled by plane.
- Turkey recorded 9.5 million outbound visits globally in 2025 with US$8.87 billion international tourism expenditure, ranking 41st globally.
What the report covers
VisitBritain publishes market intelligence on inbound tourism from key source countries, including Turkey. This factsheet presents visitor volumes, expenditure, travel modes, length of stay, traveller behaviours and UK brand perception data drawn primarily from the International Passenger Survey (IPS) conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Data covers 2024 inbound performance and 2025 global tourism context, supplemented by air connectivity metrics and nation brand rankings.
Key findings
UK inbound visits from Turkey reached 323,000 in 2024, with visitors spending a record £381.7 million collectively and an average of £1,180 per visit, according to the report. This represents the highest recorded expenditure from the Turkish market to the UK. The IPS, conducted by the ONS, provides the primary data source, though 2024 figures carry a caveat as 'official statistics in development' subject to future methodological refinement.
Turkish travellers predominantly choose air travel: 93% of 2024 visitors flew to Britain, the report states. In 2025, ten Turkish airports and 21 UK airports operated direct routes, with 659 weekly aircraft departures and 132,445 weekly seat capacity. Notably, seat capacity on non-stop flights exceeded pre-pandemic 2019 levels by 86%, with London capturing 51% of total 2025 seat capacity on direct routes from Turkey.
The UK ranks sixteenth among 50 nations in Turkish travellers' perceptions, as measured by the Anholt Nation Brands Index 2025. The report finds the UK performs particularly strongly in categories of cultural heritage, culture in general, historic buildings and sport, indicating these attributes drive appeal to the Turkish market.
Turkey positioned itself as a significant global tourism source in 2025: Turkish residents made 9.5 million outbound visits worldwide, spending US$8.87 billion internationally and ranking 41st globally by tourism expenditure, according to the report. Greece was identified as the most visited destination overall for Turkish tourists, contextualising the UK's competitive position within Turkish travellers' broader destination choices.
Key numbers
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Inbound visits from Turkey to UK | 323,000 |
| Total expenditure by Turkish visitors to UK | £381.7 million |
| Average spend per visit (Turkey to UK) | £1,180 |
| Turkish outbound visits globally | 9.5 million |
| Turkey international tourism expenditure | US$8.87 billion |
| Air travellers from Turkey to UK | 93% |
| Non-stop flight seat capacity increase vs 2019 | 86% |
Figures as published in the source; forecasts and survey results are labelled as such in the note.
Why it matters
DMOs & destinations
Turkish visitors represent a high-value, growing inbound segment with record spending (£1,180 per visit). Strong brand perception in cultural and heritage categories signals opportunity to develop targeted marketing campaigns around these assets. Expanded air capacity (86% above 2019) indicates rising accessibility and market potential for UK regional destinations beyond London.
Hotels & hospitality
Turkish leisure travellers deliver substantial revenue per visit (£381.7 million total in 2024), justifying investment in service adaptation and targeted hospitality offerings. The majority travel by air (93%), concentrating demand around major airport hubs and their regional hotel networks. Growth in seat capacity suggests rising room occupancy opportunity if marketing and distribution strategies capture increased accessibility.
Travel tech & distribution
Turkey ranks 41st globally for international tourism expenditure, yet UK brand ranks only 16th in Turkish consumer perception—indicating untapped demand. GDS, OTA and metasearch platforms should prioritise Turkish market positioning around cultural heritage and historic attractions. Airlines adding capacity (659 weekly departures) create opportunity for ancillary services and travel technology partnerships targeting this growing, high-spend segment.
Methodology and limits
Data derives primarily from the International Passenger Survey (IPS), conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), supplemented by UNWTO statistics, Oxford Economics, Apex and Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index. The 2024 IPS figures are badged as 'official statistics in development' and ONS cautions against year-on-year comparisons pending methodological refinement. Air connectivity data sourced from aviation analytics. This brief reflects the publicly available summary page; detailed visualisations and segment-level analysis are available via interactive tools on VisitBritain's platform.
Official source
The report is © VisitBritain. This brief is an original editorial summary by TourismIntel — it quotes only figures published in the source and never reproduces the document.
Check the official statistics on Pulse
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