Türkiye’s tourism income rose 5.6% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, reaching $9.45 billion, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) said Wednesday.

The figure includes $9.32 billion from visitors and $127.3 million from transfer passengers. Some 23.6% of visitor revenue came from Turkish citizens residing abroad.

The number of visitors departing from Türkiye rose 1.2% to 9.12 million between January and March. Turkish citizens living abroad made up 24.3% of this figure, numbering 2.22 million.

Average nightly spending by visitors stood at $99, while Turkish citizens residing abroad spent an average of $67 per night.

Food and beverage expenditures accounted for 24.7% of total tourism income, international transportation for 15.9%, and package tours for 13.1%.

Compared to the same quarter last year, package tour expenditures saw a significant increase of 20.8%, while food and beverage spending rose by 15.7%, and domestic transport spending grew by 8.9%.

The primary purpose of visits to Türkiye was travel, entertainment, sports, and cultural activities, making up 52.5% of all trips. Visiting relatives and friends accounted for 26.7%, while shopping visits represented 10.3%.

Among Turkish expatriates, 65.7% visited mainly for family reasons.

Tourism expenditure by Turkish citizens traveling abroad surged 37.6% year-on-year to $2.45 billion in Q1. Individual expenditures totaled $1.91 billion, while package tours accounted for $541 million.

The number of Turks traveling abroad rose 6% over the year, reaching 2.6 million. Average per capita spending was $943. (ILKHA)