Spanish tourist arrivals to Turkey quadrupled in ten years

The number of Spanish tourists travelling to Turkey has quadrupled in the last decade to around 420,000 by the end of 2025, an evolution parallel to the increase in direct flights, which have doubled, according to representatives of the Eurasian country during the celebration of the International Tourism Trade Fair (FITUR) in Madrid.

Speaking to the Anatolia news agency during FITUR, Turkey’s ambassador to Spain, Nüket Küçükel Ezberci, stressed that tourism has become one of the most visible indicators of the strengthening of bilateral relations between the two countries: “Military relations between Turkey and Spain are excellent, and political and economic relations are really at their peak. Through tourism we can show the relationship between our peoples“.

The Turkish ambassador stressed that in the past there were imbalances in the numbers of travellers between the two countries, but that this situation has been corrected. “Ten years ago, the number of tourists between the two countries was around 400,000. While 100,000 Spaniards travelled to Türkiye, 300,000 Turks came to Spain. At the beginning of 2023, the mutual tourist movement increased to 600,000, and this figure reached 1 million tourists (from both countries) in 2025,” he explained.

More direct flights between Spain and Turkey

In this regard, Ezberci stressed that the number of Spaniards visiting Turkey has quadrupled in the last ten years, reaching 420,000 by the end of 2025, and recalled that direct weekly flights between the two countries have also doubled in that period, contributing to this increase in the flow of tourists.

According to the Turkish diplomat, the total number of weekly flights from Spain to Turkey increased from 74 a decade ago to 103 at the beginning of 2023, currently standing at 153 flights. “With the new routes, it is expected that this figure will soon reach 160. We are happy, proud and will continue to work,” she stressed.

“Tourism plays a key role in the relations between Turkey and Spain. The interest and the numerous presence of Turkish tourism companies at FITUR is very satisfactory,” added the ambassador, who also pointed out that Türkiye is already the fourth most tourist-intensive country in the world and that the contribution of tourism to the Turkish economy will reach 65 billion dollars by 2025.

Although until recently direct flights from Spain to Turkey were limited to Istanbul, connections to Izmir and Ankara have also recently been inaugurated. Istanbul and Cappadocia are still the preferred destinations for Spanish tourists; however, in recent years, Ephesus and Pamukkale have gained prominence as places of interest for tourism from Spain.

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