According to the household domestic tourism data for the first quarter of 2026 from the Turkish Statistical Institute, domestic tourists' travel expenditures in the January-March period reached 102 billion 312 million lira.

 

Number of Trips Increased by 12 Percent

 

In the first three months of the year, 11 million 520 thousand people residing in the country traveled. The total number of domestic trips with at least one overnight stay increased by 12 percent compared to the same period last year, rising to 14 million 168 thousand.

 

Travelers made a total of 73 million 622 thousand overnight stays. The average length of stay was recorded as 5.2 nights.

 

Strong Rise in Spending

 

Domestic tourists' domestic travel expenditures rose to 102 billion 312 million 286 thousand lira, an increase of 33.9 percent.

 

Personal expenditures, amounting to 94 billion 552 million lira, constituted 92.4 percent of total expenditures. The share of package tour expenditures was 7.6 percent, totaling 7 billion 759 million lira.

 

The average expenditure per trip was calculated as 7 thousand 221 lira.

 

Food and Beverage Expenditures Hold the Largest Share

 

Food and beverage expenditures held the highest share in total travel expenditures with 30.9 percent. Transportation expenditures accounted for 27.6 percent, while clothing and souvenir expenditures took a 12.4 percent share.

 

Compared to the same period last year, food and beverage expenditures increased by 29.1 percent, and transportation expenditures increased by 30.1 percent. The increase in clothing and souvenir expenditures reached 62.2 percent.

 

Most Trips Made to Visit Relatives

 

68.1 percent of trips made in the January-March period were for the purpose of visiting relatives. The share of trips for sightseeing, entertainment, and holidays was 22.3 percent, and the share of trips for health purposes was 4.1 percent.

 

Friends' or relatives' homes took the first place in accommodation. In this type of accommodation, 59 million 228 thousand overnight stays were made. In hotels, 5 million 652 thousand, and in people's own homes, 5 million 461 thousand overnight stays were recorded.

 

Visual: © AI-generated illustration