Turkey is best known for its beautiful beaches along the Mediterranean, but it has much more to offer: cultural trips to historical sites in Anatolia, diving, mountaineering and excursions to the provinces of the border regions, which were inaccessible for decades due to the Kurdish conflict. Today, these new routes are also popular among both local and foreign tourists.
Fourth in the world
According to official data, Turkey received nearly 64 million tourists in 2025, and the industry's turnover reached 56 billion euros. A year earlier, Turkey overtook Italy and ranked fourth among the most preferred tourist destinations after France, Spain and the United States.
Since the pandemic, the industry has invested heavily in comfort and security. The hopes were that this year the number of tourists would exceed 65 million, and the turnover would reach 59 billion euros. But the war in Iran suddenly upset these plans.
In all eastern and southeastern cities of Turkey, trips and overnight stays are being canceled, the sector reports with concern. Until now, it was customary for many tourists from Iran to come in the third week of March to celebrate the Persian New Year and the arrival of spring in popular hotels near the border, to shop and meet their relatives living in Turkey. This year, however, nothing like this has been observed.
100 percent refusals from the provinces bordering Iran
According to the Turkish Statistical Institute, an average of 3.3 million tourists have recently come from Iran annually. This makes them the fifth largest number of visitors after those from Russia, Germany, the UK and Bulgaria.
“Since the start of the war in Iran, travel from Turkey's eastern and southeastern neighbors has completely collapsed. Things look the same in the opposite direction,“ Onur Tunçdemir, head of the company “Ayanis Tour“, told DW. His company has been offering trips to Iran and Iraq since 1997, mainly to the neighboring Kurdish regions. “In recent weeks, we have only received rejections and have had to return the pre-paid amounts“, he explains.
The war is also having a direct impact on the economy in the border regions. According to Tunçdemir, the industry has already suffered serious losses due to the anti-regime protests in late 2025 and early 2026, but since February 28, there has been an absolute standstill - and that's right now, when the end of Ramadan and the beginning of the Persian New Year coincide.
Will there be consequences for the European tourism market?
“Conflicts such as the current escalation in the Middle East have a direct effect on tourism“, the German Association of Tour Operators DRV tells DW. Its president Albin Loedl specified: “High kerosene prices, extended flight routes due to airspace closures and possible capacity problems could in the medium term be reflected in increasing flight prices“. At the same time, tourists are being redirected to other areas, for example to the west, to Spain. And this can also affect prices, as supply and demand change.
However, experts point out that a large part of the trips for the summer and autumn have already been booked. “Many Germans are planning their vacation as early as possible. Data for the end of January shows that the favorite summer destination for the period between May and October 2026 is Turkey - both in terms of turnover and the number of reservations”, says the DRV. Close behind Turkey are Spain and Greece.
There is no danger to popular destinations such as Istanbul and Antalya
Kaan Kavaloglu, chairman of the Union of Hoteliers and Tour Operators in the Mediterranean Region (AKTOB), emphasizes that there is no danger to tourists in popular places such as Istanbul, Bodrum or Antalya, which is why there are no mass cancellations of requests there. However, AKTOB registers a certain restraint, especially among tourists from the UK. Reservations from Russia and Germany have remained stable at the desired level.
The international consulting firm Oxford Economics predicts that in 2026 tourism in the Middle East could decline by between 11 and 27 percent. And since airports in the Persian Gulf countries are an important starting point for global tourism and 14 percent of flights pass through there, a domino effect could also occur.
However, analysts are currently cautious with their assessments, as the negative consequences depend on many factors - from the duration of the war to the situation after it. Turkish tourism expert Mehmet Izler, for his part, is optimistic: "The Turkish tourism industry is very resilient. We have dealt with crises such as the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. In the meantime, we have gained a lot of experience in this regard." He confirms that Iran and Arab countries are massively canceling reservations, but believes that tourist flows from war-torn regions may be directed to safer destinations in the Mediterranean, including Turkey. However, he adds: "The next four to six weeks will be crucial."
Authors: Elmaz Topcu | Aram Ekin Duran