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.
