Turkey eyes 75 million visitors by 2023

ISTANBUL

Turkey is eyeing 75 million tourists by 2023, the Culture and Tourism Ministry said Friday.

"The average expenditure per capita is targeted to hit $867 in 2023," Mehmet Nuri Ersoy told a news conference held in Istanbul to reveal Turkey’s tourism strategy for 2023.

The average expenditure per capita was $647 in 2018, as foreigners spent $617 per capita and Turkish citizens spent $801 per capita, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat).

Ersoy noted that the country is aiming for an average per night revenue of $86 by 2023, the nation's centennial celebration.

"We need to concentrate on revenue per night, not per person," he said.

According to TurkStat, Turkey welcomed 45.6 million visitors and earned $29.5 billion in tourism income last year.