Tourism Minister Ersoy: “We have raised our year-end visitor target to 61 million”
Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy reported that Turkey had revised its year-end target for visitor numbers to 61 million following a 6.2% increase in foreign visitors in September 2024. By the end of the first nine months, the total number of visitors reached 49.18 million. This positive trend led to the upward adjustment of the 2024 target.
The average duration of stay for the first nine months was 10.6 nights, with per capita spending averaging $107 per night—an increase from $101 in the same period last year. Data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) showed that tourism revenue in Q3 (July-September) risen by 3.9% year-over-year, totaling $23.22 billion. Of this income, 14.7% was generated by Turkish citizens living abroad. Personal expenditures accounted for $15.08 billion of this revenue, while package tour expenditures contributed $8.14 billion.
The number of visitors in Q3 rose by 3.5% year-over-year to 23.21 million. Turkish citizens living abroad represented 12.2% of this total, or 2.84 million people. Visitors spent an average of $95 per night, while Turkish citizens residing abroad averaged $62 per night.
Expenditure analysis showed that 35.1% of tourism income had come from package tours, followed by 17.9% from food and beverage spending, and 10.9% from international transportation. Compared to Q3 of last year, package tour spending grew by 18%, while food and beverage expenditures and international transportation spending decreased by 2.2% and 7.6%, respectively. The primary reason for visits was for “sightseeing, entertainment, sports, and cultural activities,” with 19.4% of visitors coming to “visit friends and family” and 4% for “shopping.”
Tourism expenditure by Turkish citizens traveling abroad, however, decreased by 22.5% year-over-year to $1.87 billion in Q3, with $1.52 billion in personal expenses and $356 million spent on package tours. In the same quarter, the number of Turkish citizens traveling abroad increased by 10.3% year-over-year, totaling 3.29 million, with each person spending an average of $570 during their travels.
