BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 8. Türkiye’s tourism
sector recorded mixed results in the second quarter of 2026, with
tourism income declining slightly year-on-year despite continued
visitor activity and stronger spending in several categories.
Data from the Turkish Statistical Institute shows that tourism
income reached $15.87 billion in April-June 2026, down 2.6%
compared with the same period of 2025. Of the total amount, $15.66
billion came from visitors, while $209.5 million was generated by
transfer passengers. "Visitors organise their travel individually
or with package tour. While individual expenditures constituted
$10.9 billion of the total tourism income from visitors, $4.7
billion of tourism income from visitors was obtained by package
tour expenditures," the institute says.
The number of departing visitors declined 5.1% year-on-year to
15.58 million people in the second quarter. Turkish citizens living
abroad accounted for 2.53 million of those visitors, or 16.2% of
the total.
Average expenditure per night among visitors departing Türkiye
stood at $113, while Turkish citizens residing abroad spent an
average of $79 per night. Travel, entertainment, sports and
cultural activities remained the main purpose of visits, accounting
for 71.3% of all trips. Visiting relatives and friends represented
16.6%, while shopping accounted for 6%.
The structure of tourism spending showed different trends across
categories. Package tour expenditures declined 5.5% year-on-year,
while international transportation spending decreased 6.1%. At the
same time, accommodation expenditures increased 11.7%, and food and
beverage spending rose 5.2%.
Meanwhile, outbound tourism by Turkish citizens continued to
expand. Tourism expenditure by residents traveling abroad increased
7.4% year-on-year to $2.96 billion, while the number of Turkish
citizens visiting foreign countries rose 16.5% to 3.43 million
people. Average spending per person reached $863.
Trend’s analysis
shows that Türkiye’s tourism sector is undergoing a shift in
spending composition rather than experiencing a broad-based
slowdown. The 2.6% decline in tourism income was accompanied by a
5.1% decrease in visitor numbers, suggesting that the sector
maintained relatively strong revenue generation despite lower
arrivals.
Trend’s
calculations show that tourism income per departing visitor
remained supported by higher individual spending. This points to a
stronger contribution from independent travelers, who generated
$10.9 billion in Q2 revenues, compared with $4.7 billion from
package tours.
The decline in package tour expenditures appears to be one of
the main factors behind the overall decrease in tourism income. A
5.5% annual decline in this category, combined with lower
international transportation spending, indicates changes in travel
patterns and cost structures. At the same time, growth in
accommodation and food and beverage expenditures suggests that
visitors continued to spend within Türkiye once they arrived.
At the same time, expanding air connectivity remains an
important factor supporting tourism flows across Türkiye and
neighboring markets. Recent developments show continued growth in
regional aviation links, including new routes connecting Türkiye
with Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. Azerbaijan Airlines launched
flights to Kars, creating a new connection between Azerbaijan and
eastern Türkiye. The route will operate twice a week and is
expected to support tourism, business and cultural exchanges
between the two countries. Türkiye remains the largest
international market for Azerbaijan Airlines, with scheduled
flights already operating to several Turkish destinations,
including Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Antalya, Bodrum, Trabzon,
Dalaman and Adana.
Turkish carrier SunExpress also entered Kazakhstan’s aviation
market with the launch of direct scheduled flights between Almaty
and Izmir. The route, operating twice a week, expands air links
between Central Asia and Türkiye, while Turkish carrier AJet is
increasing the frequency of flights between Astana, Almaty and
Ankara. These developments come amid continued growth in regional
air mobility. Kazakhstan’s airlines carried 7.4 million passengers
in January-June 2026, up 2.6% year-on-year, while passenger
turnover increased 7.9% to 15.3 billion passenger-kilometers.
In Trend’s
assessment, expanding direct air links can support tourism
diversification by making secondary destinations more accessible
and strengthening regional travel flows. For Türkiye, which has
traditionally relied on high visitor volumes, improving
connectivity with neighboring markets creates additional
opportunities to attract travelers beyond established tourism
centers.
