Türkiye’s tourism income edged down 0.1% year on year to $25.75 billion in the first half of 2026, according to official data released on Friday.

The number of visitors declined 2.7% from a year earlier to 24.84 million in the January-June period, data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) showed.

Despite the decline in visitor numbers, average spending per visitor rose 2.5% to $1,020, while average spending per night increased by the same rate to $108.

In the second quarter, covering April through June, tourism income fell 2.6% year on year to $15.87 billion.

Revenue generated from visitors totaled $15.66 billion, while transfer passengers contributed $209.5 million. Turkish citizens living abroad accounted for 15.6% of visitor-generated income.

Individual spending amounted to $10.93 billion during the quarter, while package-tour expenditures totaled $4.72 billion.

The number of departing visitors decreased by 5.1% year on year, reaching 15.58 million in the April-June period. Turkish citizens residing abroad made up 16.2% of the total, or nearly 2.53 million people.

Average spending per visitor increased 2.5% to $1,005 in the second quarter, while average spending per night rose 2.8% to $113.

Package-tour spending accounted for 30.2% of total tourism income, followed by food and beverages at 21%, international transportation at 12.4%, and accommodation at 11.3%.

Compared with the same quarter last year, package-tour spending fell 5.5%, while international transportation expenditures declined 6.1%. Accommodation spending increased 11.7%, and food and beverage expenditures rose 5.2%.

Travel, entertainment, sports and cultural activities accounted for 71.3% of visits. Visiting relatives and friends followed at 16.6%, while shopping accounted for 6%.

Source: AA