Turkey’s Tourism Share Rises as Others Decline: Border Crossings Down 10.6%

Among the seven countries with the highest land border crossings, five recorded decreases, with a notable 14.5% drop in crossings from Southern Cyprus. Meanwhile, the occupancy rate of tourist facilities fell by 5% compared to last year.

The Tourism Planning, Statistics and Research Branch of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Environment released June figures as the busy summer season nears its end.

Bed Capacity: Kyrenia Leads with 46% of Facilities and 55% of Beds

Bed capacity increased slightly by 0.5% from 27,626 in June 2024 to 27,760 in June 2025.

In June, a total of 170 active tourist accommodation facilities operated across the country, with Kyrenia standing out by hosting 79 facilities, accounting for 46% of total facilities and 55% of total bed capacity.

Visitor Numbers: 16.8% Increase in Arrivals in First Half of 2025

Between January and June 2024, excluding TRNC nationals, 976,604 visitors arrived by air and sea, rising 16.8% to 1,140,381 during the same period in 2025.

While overall visitor numbers increased, arrivals from Turkey rose by 20.4%, whereas arrivals from other foreign nationalities decreased by 1.5%.

Land Border Entries: 14.5% Decline in Crossings from Southern Cyprus

Police data on foreign nationals entering via land border checkpoints during January–June 2025 shows that Germany and Poland, with over 50,000 crossings each, recorded overall increases. However, significant partner countries including Southern Cyprus, the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece experienced declines.

Occupancy Rates: 5% Drop Compared to 2024

The average occupancy rate at tourist accommodation facilities between January and June 2025 was estimated at 36.6%, down from 38.5% during the same period in 2024.

The Tourism Planning Department also shared monthly distribution data of occupancy rates at tourist accommodation facilities.