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Tourists visiting Türkiye spent nearly $6 billion on food and drink during the first half of 2026, making dining the largest tourism spending category in the country, according to official data.
Figures from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), compiled by Anadolu Agency, showed that food and drink spending reached $5.9 billion between January and June. The figure came in about 9% higher than the $5.43 billion recorded during the same period last year.
Türkiye generated a total of $25.75 billion in tourism revenue over the six months.
Dining made up the biggest part of tourist expenditure as visitors tried out a wide range of dishes from different parts of Türkiye, including doner, pide, lahmacun and home-style meals.
The increase in food and drink revenue reflected the amount visitors spent while experiencing the country's regional culinary offerings.
Shopping also accounted for a significant share of tourism revenue, with international visitors spending approximately $2.2 billion on clothing and footwear during the first half of the year.
Souvenir purchases brought in a further $890.2 million over the same period.
Revenue from sports, education and cultural activities amounted to nearly $249 million between January and June.
Spending placed under other categories added approximately $618 million to Türkiye's tourism income.
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