Türkiye’s tourism revenues rise 5.6% in Q1, driven by cultural travel

Türkiye’s tourism revenues increased by 5.6% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, reaching $9.45 billion, according to data released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) on Wednesday.

The majority of visitors organized their trips independently or through package tours. Of the total tourism income during the January–March period, $8.1 billion came from personal expenditures, while $1.2 billion was spent on package tours.

Spending on food and beverages accounted for 24.7% of total tourism income, while international transportation expenses made up 15.9%, and package tour expenditures represented 13.1%.

The average expenditure per visitor was $1,022, marking a 4.8% increase compared to the same period last year. On a nightly basis, average spending amounted to $99.

More than half of the visitors—52.5%—came to Türkiye for travel, leisure, sports, or cultural activities. Visiting friends and relatives was the second most common reason, accounting for 26.7% of arrivals, followed by shopping trips at 10.3%.

Outbound tourism by Turkish citizens also increases

Tourism spending by Turkish citizens traveling abroad also rose significantly in the first quarter of 2025. Total outbound tourism expenditures increased by 37.6% year-on-year, reaching approximately $2.45 billion.

Around 2.6 million Turkish citizens traveled abroad during the period, marking a 6% increase compared to the previous year. The average spending per person was recorded at $943.

Of the total amount spent, $1.91 billion came from personal expenses, while $541 million was attributed to package tour costs.

According to the figures, in the first three months of the year, Türkiye welcomed 733,000 visitors from Iran, 601,000 from the Russian Federation, 572,000 from Germany, 506,000 from Bulgaria, and 304,000 from the United Kingdom.

Commenting on the data, Türkiye’s Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy emphasized that the country’s target for 2025 is to attract 65 million visitors and generate $64 billion in tourism revenue.

Ersoy stated that Türkiye reached a record level of tourism income in the first quarter of 2025, adding, “I am pleased to say that we have closed the first quarter in line with our target.”