Turkiye’s tourism revenue has risen by 5.4% in the first quarter of the year, reaching $8.784 billion compared to the same period last year. This increase was partly driven by expenditures from Turkish residents living abroad, who contributed 21% to the total tourism income.
During this period, personal spending accounted for $7.775 billion of the revenue, while package tours contributed $1.009 billion. The rise in revenue coincides with a 10.1% increase in visitor numbers, totaling 9.01 million people departing from Turkey.
Of these visitors, 21.6%, or approximately 1.942 million, were Turkish citizens residing abroad. The average overnight expenditure for these visitors was $93, while Turkish residents abroad spent an average of $64 per night.
The largest portion of tourism revenue was spent on food and beverage, accounting for 22.6%, followed by international transport at 16.7%, and package tour expenses at 11.5%. Compared to the previous year, spending on food and beverage grew by 2.8%, international transport by 11.8%, and package tours by 19.4%.
Visits to relatives and friends ranked as the second most common reason for travel at 31.3%, with shopping being the third at 9.6%. Among Turkish residents living abroad, 73.6% visited Turkiye primarily to see family and friends.
Additionally, the tourism expenditure of Turkish residents traveling abroad increased by 11.3% to $1.779 billion. This figure included $1.444 billion in personal expenses and $335 million in package tour costs.
The number of Turkish citizens traveling abroad in the first quarter rose by 18.4% year-over-year to 2.449 million people. These travelers spent an average of $727 per person.
9 Million Visited Turkiye in Q1 2024
In the first quarter of 2024, Turkey witnessed a significant increase in tourist arrivals, with numbers up by 16.68% compared to the same period in 2023.
According to preliminary data from the General Directorate of Security and the Turkish Statistical Institute, the number of visitors to the country from January to March 2024 reached 9,067,715.
In March 2024, Turkiye experienced a 15.65% increase in foreign visitor arrivals compared to the same month last year. According to temporary data from the General Directorate of Security, the number of foreign visitors in March 2024 reached 2,701,244, of which 33,490 (1.24%) were day-trippers.
Furthermore, from January to March 2024, Turkiye saw a 13.37% increase in foreign visitors compared to the same period in 2023. During the first quarter of 2024, the total number of foreign visitors rose to 7,042,850, with 56,941 (0.81%) of these being day-trippers. This growth highlights Turkiye’s continued appeal as a travel destination.
Distribution of Foreign Visitors to Turkiye by Year and Month
| YEARS | % CHANGE | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MONTHS | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023/2022 | 2024/2023 |
| JANUARY | 1,281,666 | 2,005,967 | 2,047,027 | 56.51 | 2.05 |
| FEBRUARY | 1,541,393 | 1,870,414 | 2,294,579 | 21.35 | 22.68 |
| MARCH | 2,079,565 | 2,335,728 | 2,701,244 | 12.32 | 15.65 |
| APRIL | 2,574,423 | 3,321,824 | 29.03 | ||
| MAY | 3,873,212 | 4,500,242 | 16.19 | ||
| JUNE | 5,014,821 | 5,584,021 | 11.35 | ||
| JULY | 6,664,970 | 7,148,044 | 7.25 | ||
| AUGUST | 6,304,770 | 6,660,700 | 5.65 | ||
| SEPTEMBER | 5 475 453 | 5 786 027 | 5.67 | ||
| OCTOBER | 4,803,198 | 4,987,112 | 3.83 | ||
| NOVEMBER | 2,551,483 | 2,525,345 | -1.02 | ||
| DECEMBER | 2,399,441 | 2,483,756 | 3.51 | ||
| TOTAL | 44,564,395 | 49,209,180 | 10.42 | ||
| 3 MONTHS TOTAL | 4,902,624 | 6,212,109 | 7,042,850 | 26.71 | 13.37 |
