Economic Returns of Tourism in Turkey: An Assessment with Numbers
The recent rapid industrialization and the increasing globalization process with developing technology have changed the consumption habits of individuals and thus the contribution of sectors to the Gross Domestic Product in the country.
The service sector has surpassed the industrial sector and the agricultural sector, and the importance of tourism, which is under the service sector, has gradually increased. The share of the tourism sector in the country's exports in Turkey is around 15% (due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019, there is a sharp decrease to around 6% in 2020). Free movement, which was restricted due to the Covid-19 pandemic measures, negatively affected every sector as well as the tourism sector. However, with the Covid-19 vaccines developed by scientists becoming applicable to humans, tourism revenues in Turkey as of the fourth quarter of 2021 increased by 95% compared to the same quarter of the previous year and reached 7 billion 631 million 374 thousand dollars. As of the first quarter of 2022, it increased by 122.4% compared to the same quarter of the previous year and became 5 billion 454 million 488 thousand dollars. In both these periods, the number of visitors increased by nearly 100% and nearly 70% of the visitors visited the country for sightseeing, entertainment, sports and cultural activities (TUIK). The economic returns of tourism are of great importance for the national economies. Tourism means both foreign exchange inflow and foreign demand for developing countries like Turkey. Due to its geographical location and natural beauties, tourism is an indispensable part of sustainable growth for Turkey. According to TURKSTAT data, as of December 2021, 54% of individuals working in Turkey work in the service sector. Even in the light of this data alone, the contribution of tourism to the employment of the country can be estimated. The World Trade Organization data also confirms that the income from the tourism sector has increased all over the world and that it contributes to the welfare of the countries. Investments in the tourism sector should be supported by the state so that Turkey and other developing countries can eliminate their current account deficit problems, find solutions to unemployment problems, improve themselves thanks to the socio-cultural interaction experienced, and therefore reduce poverty. If the necessary infrastructure works and necessary legal arrangements are carried out in a way that encourages tourism, countries can reap the fruits of this sector more.
