Turkey could receive 5 million UK tourists this year

More visitors from the UK are expected to visit Turkey this year, thanks to the long summer season and the expansion of Antalya airport.

British tourists could reach 5 million this year, British envoy to Ankara Jill Morris told the state-run Anadolu Agency.

She said the number of UK visitors rose from 3.3 million in 2023 to 4.5 million last year.

Most Britons visit popular destinations such as Izmir, Aydın, Bodrum, Muğla, Marmaris, Fethiye and Antalya, along the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts.

Antalya airport’s capacity expansion from 35 million to 82 million is significant, the envoy said, adding that direct flights are available from nearly all major UK cities to the coastal resort city.

Trade between the UK and Turkey reached £26 billion ($37 billion) in 2024, the report said.

“Turkey for us is a priority. It’s a priority partner across the board,” Morris said.

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The UK and Turkey are set to begin negotiations for a new free trade agreement before the end of July, she said.

Despite economic and political turmoil, foreign visitors flocked to Turkey in record numbers in the first quarter of the year.

Turkey generated $9.4 billion from international tourism between January and March, according to data issued by state statistics agency Turkstat on April 30, a 6 percent increase on the same quarter last year.