Turkey’s decline in foreign tourist arrivals moderated in August 2026, suggesting tentative signs of stabilization in the country’s key tourism sector. Year-over-year, foreign arrivals fell by 0.03% in August, a notably smaller contraction than the 0.30% drop recorded in July 2026 on the same basis.
The data, updated on 25 September 2026, indicate that while Turkey is still seeing a slight year-over-year decrease in international visitors, the pace of decline has eased considerably month-on-month. The “actual” figures compare August 2026 arrivals to August 2025, while the “previous” reading measured July 2026 against July 2025.
Although the sector remains marginally below last year’s levels, the sharp improvement from July to August may be interpreted by market participants and policymakers as an early sign that external demand for Turkish tourism is stabilizing, potentially supporting related industries and services heading into the latter part of the year.
