The Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) has released data on tourism revenues for the second quarter and first half of the year. According to the data, tourism revenues for the period of April-May-June 2024 increased by 11.8 percent compared to the same quarter of the previous year, reaching $14.875 billion. Of this revenue, 15.9 percent was generated from citizens residing abroad who visited Türkiye.
Visitors organized their trips either personally or through package tours. Personal expenditures accounted for $10.330 billion, while package tour expenditures amounted $4.544 billion in this quarter.
The number of visitors departing from Türkiye in Q2 2024 rose by 15 percent compared to the same quarter of the previous year, reaching 16.097 million people. Of these, 14.9 percent, or 2.405 million, were citizens residing abroad. In the first half of the year, total number of visitor of Türkiye increased by about 14 percent, reached to 26 million.
The average expenditure per night for visitors departing from Türkiye was $101, while the average expenditure per night for citizens residing abroad was $69.
In this quarter, package tour expenditures made up 30.6 percent of total tourism revenue, food and beverage expenditures accounted for 18.5 percent, and international transportation expenditures represented 12.2 percent. Compared to the same period last year, package tour expenditures increased by 32.5 percent, food and beverage expenditures by 10.6 percent, and international transportation expenditures by 1.9 percent.
Most visitors, 68.1 percent, came for "travel, entertainment, sports, and cultural activities." The second most common reason was "visiting relatives and friends" at 19.1 percent, followed by "shopping" at 5.4 percent. Among citizens residing abroad, 66.5 percent visited Türkiye primarily to see relatives and friends.
Tourism expenditure by residents of Türkiye traveling abroad decreased by 3.9 percent compared to the same quarter of the previous year, amounting to $1.955 billion. Of this, personal expenditures accounted for $1.610 billion, and package tour expenditures were $345.377 million.
The number of Turkish citizens traveling abroad in Q2 2024 increased by 3 percent compared to the same quarter of the previous year, reaching 2.963 million people. Their average expenditure per person was $660.
