According to the data from the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, 7,903,538 foreign tourists visited Istanbul in the first six months of 2023. The number of tourists increased by 8 percent compared to the same period last year, reaching a total of 8,562,167. This marked an increase of 658,629 foreign tourists compared to the previous year.
In June of last year, Istanbul was visited by 1,627,057 foreign tourists, while this year the number increased to 1,638,399. This represents a nearly 1 percent increase in the number of foreign tourists visiting the city in June compared to the previous year.
The majority of tourists arriving in Istanbul in June used Istanbul Airport as their point of entry. Of the tourists visiting the city in June, 1,582,662 arrived by air and 55,737 arrived by sea. Specifically, 1,161,581 individuals entered Istanbul through Istanbul Airport, while 419,617 arrived via Sabiha Gökçen Airport and 1,464 entered through Atatürk Airport.
The statistics show that 73.39 percent of visitors to Istanbul in June chose to arrive via Istanbul Airport, while 26.51 percent opted for Sabiha Gökçen Airport. In terms of nationalities, Russians topped the list of foreign visitors to Istanbul, with 171,633 individuals choosing to visit the city. They were followed by visitors from the United States, Germany, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, France, Uzbekistan, Iraq, and Italy.
Among the nationalities visiting Istanbul in June, 10.48 percent were Russians, 6.89 percent were Americans, 6.26 percent were Germans, and 5.88 percent were Iranians. The city saw visitors from 195 different countries in June, with some unique visitors coming from countries like Tonga, Samoa, Tuvalu, Sao Tome and Principe, Papua New Guinea, and the Vatican. The varied and diverse range of visitors highlights Istanbul’s appeal as a popular tourist destination.
