The 15th Session of the Türkiye–Russian Federation Joint Tourism Commission was held in Antalya.

The 15th Session of the Türkiye–Russian Federation Joint Tourism Commission was held in Antalya, co-chaired by Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye Mr. Nadir Alpaslan and Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Mr. Vladimir Ilichev. The meeting was attended by Cenker Yılmaz on behalf of TÜROB, together with representatives of the relevant ministries and the public and private sectors of both countries.

At the meeting, important and concrete decisions were taken to enhance tourism relations between the two countries and to resolve a number of issues encountered by tourists.

Tourism relations between Türkiye and the Russian Federation have shown a steady growth trend in recent years. An examination of the number of visitors arriving in Türkiye from Russia in particular shows that the visitor count, which stood at 5.2 million in 2022, rose to 6.3 million in 2023, 6.7 million in 2024, and 6.9 million in 2025. The year 2026 has also gotten off to a strong start, with a 5.5% increase recorded in the first two months compared to the same period last year. These figures demonstrate that the Russian market retains its strategic importance for Turkish tourism and that its growth potential continues.

When assessed by destination, as of 2025 Antalya continues to be the most preferred destination with 4 million Russian visitors, while İstanbul ranks second with 2 million visitors. Muğla, meanwhile, remains an important attraction with 400,000 visitors. In addition, a steady annual increase is observed in destinations such as İzmir, Kuşadası, and Cappadocia, indicating that Türkiye is strengthening its market and destination diversity in tourism.

Under the co-marketing efforts carried out by the Turkey Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA) targeting the Russian market, a total of 14 campaigns were conducted in 2025 with 4 tour operators and 1 online travel platform (OTA). For 2026, these collaborations have been expanded, with 9 campaigns planned with 5 tour operators and 1 OTA. Conducted with leading tour operators such as Coral Travel, PEGAS Touristik, FUN & SUN, Anex, and Intourist, as well as digital platforms such as Trip.com, these efforts aim to increase visibility in the Russian market.

On the Russian side, meanwhile, the “Discover Russia” initiative stands out as a comprehensive branding and marketing ecosystem aimed at promoting the country as a tourism destination in international markets. In addition, under the “Let’s Travel!” international tourism forum, business-focused trade fair participations, regional promotional tours, and joint marketing activities with tour operators are being carried out, while campaigns targeting the relevant audience are organized through TV, digital media, and social platforms.