The Turkish Statistical Institute released positive news for the country’s tourism industry, highlighting a surge in revenue and visitor arrivals in the first quarter of 2024.
Compared to the same period in 2023, tourism income rose by a significant 5.4%, reaching a total of $8.78 billion. This growth indicates a strong start to the year for Turkish tourism, suggesting a potential rebound from any pandemic-related setbacks.
The number of departing visitors to Türkiye witnessed a healthy increase of 10.1%, reaching over 9 million. Notably, more than 2 million of these visitors were Turkish citizens residing abroad. This suggests a growing trend of expatriate Turks returning to visit family and friends, or explore their heritage.
An interesting trend emerged in tourist spending habits. Individual expenditures, where tourists plan their own itineraries and book accommodations independently, constituted the lion’s share (70%) of total…