In 2023, Mardin hosted 2 million 650 thousand tourists
Located in the "golden triangle" of Mesopotamia, Mardin, one of the Southeastern Anatolian Region provinces, hosted 2 million 650 thousand tourists in 2023. Mardin, characterized as the "golden triangle" of Mesopotamia, attracts thousands of domestic and foreign tourists every year. Özgür Azad Gürgör, the President of the Mardin Tourism and Hoteliers Association, stated that approximately 650 thousand people stayed in the city this year, with nearly 2 million entries and exits.
Gürgör, evaluating their expectations for 2024, stated that they anticipate surpassing 1 million stays. In the city where 650 thousand tourists stayed in hotels, he mentioned that the visitor count reached 2 million 560 thousand in 2022, saying, "Our goal this year was 1 million stays. In 2019, we reached a figure of around 850 thousand. After the earthquake in 2023, there was a decline. Later, we entered a recovery process. There was significant demand after May. We had close to 650 thousand stays. Our bed capacity increased, and the number of hotels increased."
Güngör noted that Mardin residents living in metropolitan cities have made significant contributions to Mardin. He stated, "Mardin residents living in metropolitan cities have made serious investments here. We also had many guests from nearby cities. Especially, our guests arranged day trips or stayed in the nearest cities. One of the closest cities was Diyarbakır. Our guests stayed there and made day trips to Mardin. According to the information we have, in addition to the entries and exits from churches, historical sites, and hotel stays, we have close to 2 million entries and exits. This situation makes us happy. Our tourist numbers are now spread over 12 months. There is a strong demand for New Year's Eve. We already invite everyone for New Year's Eve."