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Sinar Daily
3 days ago
- Business
- Sinar Daily
Türkiye posts steady tourism growth, eyes USD$64 billion year-end revenue
The country, ranked as the world's fourth-largest incoming tourism market by United Nations Tourism's 2024 data. By SINAR DAILY REPORTER 16 Aug 2025 11:01am The Sturgeon moon is seen rising over Galata Tower in Istanbul, on August 9, 2025. (Photo by Yasin AKGUL / AFP) SHAH ALAM - Türkiye welcomed over 26.3 million international visitors in the first half of 2025, posting a 1 per cent year-on-year increase despite global geopolitical uncertainties. The country, ranked as the world's fourth-largest incoming tourism market by United Nations Tourism's 2024 data, recorded USD$25.8 billion (RM109.24 billion) in tourism revenues between January and June, a 7.6 per cent jump from the same period last year. Visitors stayed an average of 10 nights and spent USD$106 (RM448.80) per night per person, marking an 8 per cent increase in daily expenditure compared to 2024. Kaleköy, Antalya. (Photo from Türkiye Culture and Tourism Ministry) Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said Türkiye's strategy of diversifying destinations, tourism products and source markets is paying off. 'Despite many geopolitical challenges in the first half of the year, Türkiye continued its sustainable growth in the tourism industry. Our focus is proving effective, and we remain confident in achieving our year-end target of USD$64 billion (RM270.98 billion) in tourism revenues,' he said at a press conference in Istanbul. Mehmet Nuri Ersoy speaking. (Photo from Türkiye Culture and Tourism Ministry) Russia, Germany and the UK emerged as Türkiye's top three visitor markets, contributing 2.61 million, 2.42 million, and 1.75 million visitors respectively. The nation also recorded double-digit growth from the Americas, several European countries, Central Asia and the Asia-Pacific region. Tourism analysts say the uptick in per capita spending signals stronger demand for higher-value experiences, a trend Türkiye is keen to capitalise on in the run-up to the peak summer and autumn seasons. More Like This
eNCA
01-06-2025
- Business
- eNCA
Istanbul's 'suitcase trade' stalls as African merchants face crackdown
Porters roam the narrow streets of Laleli in central Istanbul carrying parcels ready for shipment to customers all over the world. The maze of alleys that lead down to the Sea of Marmara have long been the centre of the "suitcase trade" to sub-Saharan Africa, a route through which merchants carry goods back and forth in their baggage. But Laleli's informal shipping scene, once a bustling hub of cross-continental trade, is now facing growing pressure from rising costs and tougher residency rules imposed by Turkish authorities. African traders, who helped drive demand for Turkish goods through the "kargo" system -- small-scale shipping services between Turkish wholesalers and buyers across Africa -- say business has slumped, even as official export figures continue to rise. - Facing pressure - While some still make round trips, most trade now moves through shipping services. AFP | Yasin AKGUL For agents like Fadil Bayero -- a Cameroonian who runs a kargo business that ships clothing, cosmetics and home textiles from Turkey to clients across Africa -- business is slow. Turkish products have a very good reputation in Africa, he said. "Before this room was filled to the ceiling. Today it is half-empty," the 39-year-old said. Like many Africans in the neighbourhood, he claimed that shipments have dropped, even as Turkish exports to Africa have generally soared -- from $11.5 billion (10.1 billion euros) in 2017 to $19.4 billion last year. Turkish textiles, once known for their affordability, have grown more expensive in recent years. Merchants say inflation -- above 35 percent since late 2021 -- has pushed African buyers toward cheaper suppliers in China and Egypt. But for Bayero, the explanation lies elsewhere. "It's not inflation that's the problem, it's the arrests. Many people have been deported," he said. - 'Everything is empty' - Since 2022, Turkey's migration policy has toughened, with the authorities blocking new residence permit applications in several districts of Istanbul, including Fatih, where Laleli is located. AFP | Yasin AKGUL The goal is to limit the proportion of foreigners to 20 percent per neighbourhood. "The stores, the streets, everything is empty now," said Franck, one of Bayero's colleagues. "Look out the window -- the sellers sit all day drinking tea while waiting for customers." A few streets away, Shamsu Abdullahi examined his spreadsheets. In his dimly lit room, dozens of bundles are stacked on the white tiled floor, awaiting shipment. Since January, he and his two colleagues have shipped over 20 tons of goods by air freight and filled the equivalent of 15 maritime containers. The Nigerian has also made around 15 round trips to his homeland, bringing 80 kilos of goods with him on each journey. "My residence permit expires in two months, and I think the authorities won't renew it," he said. He and his associates generate over a million euros a year in revenue. "It's money spent in Turkey that fuels the local economy," he said. - 'Golden age' - Historian Issouf Binate, a lecturer at Alassane Ouattara University in the Ivory Coast, said much of the trade is informal, making it hard to track. "It's difficult to provide figures on the volume of Turkey's exports to Africa because many businesses are informal," he said. AFP | Yasin AKGUL "Kargos" are "transitional businesses", with improvised activity shared between friends or family members. Many in Laleli now believe that the golden age of the "kargo" and suitcase trading is over. "In one year we went from about three tons of shipments per week to 1.5," said a young Congolese who has lived in Istanbul for five years and asked not to be named. "Even if we still manage to find low-cost products, we cannot compete with China," he added. Arslan Arslan, a Turkish merchant who sells African dresses a few metres away, painted the same picture. "Before, I had customers from morning to evening... but the authorities sent them back." Now Arslan searches for his African customers on social media. "I'm on Telegram, Instagram, Facebook. But here, everything has become expensive," he said. "I've lost 70 percent of my revenue in a year."
