Record number of Indians visit Turkey in June; footfalls cross 27,300

Following the relaxation of Covid-19-related travel restrictions in Turkey, more than 27,300 Indian tourists visited the country in June. In June 2019, before the pandemic, Turkey had welcomed over 23,800 Indian tourists, as reported by Turkey Tourism.

The notable surge in tourist numbers in June, a month traditionally not as popular for Indian tourists, suggests a potential ongoing trend, with May and October typically being the preferred months for Indian travelers to visit Turkey, according to Turkiye Tourism.

Several factors contribute to this increased demand, including the convenience of obtaining visas for personal and leisure travel. The resumption of direct flights by Turkish Airlines and Indigo is also identified as a key factor driving the surge in Indian tourist interest, as highlighted by Turkiye Tourism.

The data further reveals that Turkey hosted a total of 5.2 crore travelers in 2019, generating USD 34.5 billion in tourism revenue. Among these, 2.3 lakh were Indian nationals, marking the highest number of Indian travelers recorded visiting Turkey up to that point.