Muslim-Majority Source Markets and Inbound Travel to Türkiye: A Practitioner Analysis of a Regional Corridor

Studies of Türkiye's inbound tourism have concentrated on its large European source markets, while the growing flow of visitors from Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East and the wider region has received comparatively little analytical attention. This paper addresses that gap. It treats travel from Muslim-majority source markets to Türkiye as a regional corridor with characteristics distinct from the European leisure trade, and it examines what those characteristics mean for the operators who serve it. Drawing on the literature on tourism in Muslim-majority societies and on the operational experience of building itineraries for regional source markets, the paper sets out the drivers of the corridor, the ways in which its demand differs from that of longer-haul European markets, and the operational adaptations it requires in language, product design, seasonality, and service. It argues that these markets are not a smaller version of the European trade but a distinct segment whose proximity, cultural affinity, and travel patterns reward operators who understand them on their own terms. The paper deliberately works at the level of markets and segments rather than individual travellers, and it closes with recommendations for operators, destination bodies, and researchers.