Turkish television dramas, already one of the country’s most successful cultural exports, are increasingly being deployed as a strategic tool to boost tourism, officials and industry experts said.
Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said that Turkish series now reach nearly one billion viewers in about 170 countries, placing Türkiye among the world’s top TV exporters.
Rather than serving solely as entertainment, he said, the shows have become “immersive promotional platforms” that expose global audiences to the country’s landscapes, lifestyles and social dynamics.
Tourism professionals say this exposure helps lower psychological barriers to travel by creating a sense of familiarity long before visitors arrive. The government has embraced the sector as both an economic engine and a pillar of cultural diplomacy.
Ersoy said Türkiye is shifting away from traditional destination marketing. “Tourism promotion is no longer limited to visual showcases of landmarks,” he said, stressing the growing importance of emotional engagement and narrative depth.
Türkiye ranks first worldwide in annual TV episode production and remains among the top three exporters of television content. Export revenues surpassed 1 billion dollars in 2025, according to official figures.
