Turkiye's tourism season is off to a challenging start, and officials anticipate difficult months ahead as the ongoing war in Iran has led to cancellations and a shift toward last-minute bookings, with travelers weighing uncertainties.
Impact of War on Tourism Numbers
Data released on Thursday showed a modest 5 percent year-on-year increase to 2.46 million foreign visitors in March, the first full month of the war. However, hotel owners and tour operators report a drop in bookings and growing wariness among travelers.
Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy stated at a quarterly briefing, "A difficult second quarter lies ahead, during which the negative effects of the war will be strongly felt." Arrivals rose 2.2 percent to 6.84 million in the first quarter overall, while tourism revenues increased 4.2 percent to $9.9 billion.
Recovery Depends on Ceasefire
Ersoy emphasized that recovery hinges on a lasting ceasefire, noting that last-minute bookings are becoming more prominent. In 2025, revenues grew by 6.8 percent from the previous year to a record $65.2 billion, according to official data. Before the war, the government had projected $68 billion in revenue for this year.
Lower revenues could exacerbate Turkiye's current account deficit, already under pressure from soaring energy prices due to the war's fallout. The conflict, now resting on an uneasy ceasefire between the United States and Iran, has dampened demand for travel to Turkiye's historic sites and Mediterranean beaches.
Reports of Missiles Targeting Turkiye
Switzerland-based tour operator Bentour reported to Reuters that bookings nearly halved after reports in early March that a few Iranian missiles were downed heading toward neighboring Turkiye, where some remnants landed. Chairman Kadir Ugur said demand has started to pick up over the last week, partly due to price cuts of 20-25 percent at hotels.
Bentour brought around 350,000 tourists to Turkiye last year from German-speaking European countries, but reservations are down about 5 percent so far this year, according to Ugur.
Hotel Owners Struggle
Some hotel owners say war uncertainty has caused a flood of cancellations, leaving little visibility for the peak summer months. Many have slashed prices and even sold rooms at a loss. "Bookings have now shifted to last-minute reservations," said Cetta Hotels owner Bulent Bulbuloglu in an interview. "As demand falls, competition pressures prices. There's no profitability. Even now, we are deliberately selling at a loss just to generate cash flow and pay staff salaries."
