Over 3.2 Million Iranian Tourists Visited Turkey in 2024

New statistics from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism indicate a 30% increase in the number of Iranian tourists visiting the country last year. According to a report published on the ministry's website, approximately 3 million 228 thousand Iranian tourists entered Turkey in 2024. Iranians rank fourth in terms of foreign tourist arrivals in Turkey, following citizens from Russia, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The report states that a total of 52 million 630 thousand foreign tourists visited Turkey last year, which is a 7% increase from 2023, generating over 61 billion dollars in revenue for the country. About seven million Turkish expatriates also visited their home country last year. Iranians were the top foreign tourists in Turkey during the first two months of 2024, with over 35% choosing Istanbul and 30% selecting the coastal city of Antalya as their travel destinations. The Turkish government aims to host 64 million foreign tourists this year. Recently, the Turkish Statistical Institute reported that Iranian citizens rank second in purchasing real estate in Turkey, after Russians. Last year, about 24 thousand housing units were purchased by foreigners in Turkey, with Iranians buying 2 thousand 166 units, placing them second. Following Iranian citizens are Ukrainians, Iraqis, and Germans. This data only pertains to the purchase of residential apartment units and does not include commercial, industrial, or other types of properties. After the Turkish government's tightening of citizenship conditions for foreigners in exchange for real estate purchases, sales to foreigners have sharply declined. In 2022, over 68 thousand housing units were sold to foreigners. At that time, foreigners could obtain Turkish citizenship by purchasing property worth 250 thousand dollars. However, with the intensification of Russia's military invasion of Ukraine and a massive influx of citizens from those countries seeking to buy property in Turkey, Ankara made citizenship contingent on a minimum investment of 400 thousand dollars in real estate.