Newsletters
Turkish citizens stepped up outbound travel in the first quarter of 2026, with trips jumping 13.1% year-over-year to 2.9 million, but total spending fell 9.1% to $2.2 billion, according to official data.
While more residents headed overseas, they spent less overall compared to the same period last year, with per-trip spending dropping nearly 20% to $758.
Personal expenses made up the bulk of outbound spending at $1.7 billion, while package tours accounted for $493.9 million.
At the same time, Türkiye’s inbound tourism kept bringing in more revenue despite ongoing regional tensions following the Iran war, with total income rising 4.2% year-on-year to $9.9 billion in the January–March period.
Non-resident visitor arrivals to Türkiye showed steady growth in the first quarter of the year, driven by a strong surge in March and a significant influx of Turkish citizens living abroad.
Top source markets were as follows:
Visitors contributed $9.7 billion of that total, while transfer passengers added $201.9 million. Average nightly spending stood at $102, while Turkish citizens living abroad spent $72 per night.
Food and beverage took the largest share of tourism income at 27%, followed by international transportation at 15.8% and accommodation at 13%.
Some categories posted notable increases compared to last year:
Leisure remained the main driver for incoming visitors:
For Turkish citizens living abroad, visiting family dominated by a wide margin, making up 66.7% of trips.
Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy shared the first-quarter 2026 tourism data at a meeting held at Istanbul’s Ataturk Cultural Center, pointing to a challenging global backdrop.
"Regional tensions, geopolitical developments, the negative impact of conflicts and the resulting fluctuations in international travel are among the main factors directly affecting the tourism sector. First of all, it should be clearly stated that this picture is not unique to Türkiye," Ersoy said.
He added that Türkiye has effectively managed recent security challenges, describing it as a "safe haven" in a region surrounded by conflict. "If it weren’t for the impact of the war, we could have seen much stronger double-digit growth in March," he noted.
He also framed Turkish tourism as going beyond a simple destination choice, highlighting its focus on trust, accessibility, experience and sustainability, and said authorities will closely track global developments and manage risks proactively.
Türkiye closed 2025 with 64 million visitors and $65.2 billion in tourism revenue.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
