Tourism is now a cornerstone of Turkey’s economy, with four decades of investment and development leading to the country ranking as the fourth most visited globally last year, according to the World Tourism Forum. There were more than 62 million visitors in 2024, a figure expected to rise.

However, some of the country’s best-known beach destinations can feel crowded in peak season. The Turkish Riviera drew 15.9 million foreign visitors in 2024, while İzmir routinely sees more than two million annually.

More records have been broken this summer – the country recorded a high of 50.5°C in July in the south-east as a widespread heatwave resulted in numerous wildfires around the country.

“October is a lovely time to visit Turkey,” says Matthew Simpson at Simpson Travel . “As well as bein

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