Turkish tourists choose foreign trips as domestic holidays become too expensive

Turkish tourists are increasingly opting for vacations abroad as high inflation and rising prices for domestic holidays make stays at home less affordable, according to a Bodrum-based tour operator and member of TÜRSAB, Akın Beke.

Beke told RIA Novosti that the cost of accommodation, food and services in Turkey has changed citizens' preferences, with more people choosing overseas destinations. He noted that even though foreign visitor numbers and gross tourism revenue remain at record levels, spending by Turkish residents on trips abroad is growing much faster than earnings from incoming tourism.

In the second quarter of 2026, Turkey's tourism income fell by 2.73% year-on-year to $15.66 billion, while spending by Turkish residents on foreign travel rose by 7.35% to a record $2.96 billion for one quarter. For every $100 earned from tourism, Turkish citizens spent about $7 abroad in 2021; by Q2 2026, that figure had risen to nearly $19.

Beke linked the trend to domestic holidays becoming more expensive than many popular foreign destinations, including neighboring countries, island resorts and places with visa-free or simplified entry rules. He added that spending by Turkish tourists abroad has almost equaled what foreign tourists spend in Turkey. Tourism remains a key source of foreign currency for the country, and authorities still expect record performance, but the rise in domestic prices is stimulating outbound travel and reducing the sector's net income.