Fourth quarter performance
In the final quarter of 2024, tourism revenue increased by 14.5% year-on-year, reaching $13.788 billion. Of this amount, $13.65 billion was generated by visitors, while approximately $137 million came from transit passengers. Individual expenditures made up $9.941 billion (72.84%) of total tourism spending, while package tour expenditures contributed $3.708 billion (27.16%). Notably, Turkish citizens residing abroad accounted for 19.5% of total tourism revenue in this quarter.
Annual overview for 2024
For the full year, Türkiye’s tourism revenue rose by 8.3% compared to 2023, reaching $61.103 billion. Visitors to the country generated $60.494 billion, while transit passengers contributed $606 million. Turkish citizens living abroad accounted for $10.4 billion of the total tourism revenue.
Of the total revenue, $43.092 billion (71.5%) came from individual expenditures, while $17.404 billion (28.5%) was attributed to package tour expenditures.
Increase in visitor numbers
The number of visitors to Türkiye in 2024 grew by 9% compared to the previous year, reaching 62,2 million. Among these, 9.6 million (15.4%) were Turkish citizens residing abroad.
In the final quarter of 2024, visitor numbers increased by 11.6% year-on-year, totaling 13,9 million. Turkish citizens living abroad made up 17.4% of these arrivals, with 2,417,000 visits.
Spending trends and patterns
During the last quarter, the average nightly expenditure by visitors in Türkiye was $97, while Turkish citizens residing abroad spent an average of $60 per night. On an annual basis, the average nightly spending was $97 for all visitors and $63 for Turkish citizens living abroad.
Breakdown of expenditures
In 2024, package tour expenditures accounted for 28.8% of total tourism revenue, followed by food and beverage spending at 19.4% and international transportation at 12.5%. Compared to the previous year, package tour spending increased by 22.7%, food and beverage expenditures rose by 7.4%, and international transportation costs grew by 0.9%.
In the fourth quarter, package tour expenditures represented 27.2% of tourism revenue, food and beverage spending accounted for 20.7%, and international transportation contributed 13%. Year-on-year, package tour spending increased by 23.2%, food and beverage expenditures rose by 26.3%, and international transportation costs grew by 5.2%.
Visitor purposes
Throughout 2024, 64.9% of visitors traveled to Türkiye for "leisure, sports, and cultural activities," while Turkish citizens residing abroad primarily visited for "family and friend visits" (69.6%). In the fourth quarter, 62.4% of visitors arrived for leisure purposes, while 69.4% of Turkish citizens abroad visited for family and friend-related reasons.
Decline in tourism expenditures abroad
Türkiye’s tourism expenditures, which include spending by Turkish residents traveling abroad, declined by 8.2% in 2024, totaling $7.741 billion. Of this amount, $6.312 billion was attributed to individual spending, while $1.428 billion was spent on package tours.
In the final quarter, outbound tourism expenditures decreased by 10.4% year-on-year, amounting to $2.131 billion. Individual spending accounted for $1.739 billion, while package tour expenditures totaled $391.5 million.
Outbound travel trends
The number of Turkish citizens traveling abroad in 2024 rose by 2.9%, reaching 11,390,520. The average per capita spending was $680. However, in the final quarter, outbound travel declined by 14.3%, with per capita spending dropping to $792.
