New target for Istanbul tourism: 20 million
Istanbul is breaking records in tourism. Firuz Bağlıkaya, the President of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies, stated that Istanbul will surpass 17 million visitors by the end of 2023, and he announced a new target of 20 million.
Bağlıkaya pointed out that Istanbul hosts visitors from more than 200 countries and mentioned, "In 2023, 97.5% of visitors to Istanbul arrived by air. Istanbul Airport, with a capacity of 90 million passengers per year, has made a significant contribution to tourism in the city. The second runway of Sabiha Gökçen Airport, which has recently opened, will also give a new momentum to Istanbul tourism." Discussing the role of Istanbul in health tourism, Bağlıkaya said, "The number of hospitals in Istanbul that received a health tourism certificate has reached 188, medical centers have increased to 79, outpatient clinics to 1080, and the number of clinics and polyclinics is now 435."