Foreign tourists’ expenditure rise 19 percent

ISTANBUL

Expenditures of foreign tourists visiting Türkiye increased by 19 percent in the Jan. 1 -Sept. 19 period from a year ago, according to a report by Mastercard.

The number of transactions made with cards grew by 25 percent on an annual basis, while the increase in the volume of car spending was 12 percent.

Foreign tourists’ expenditures rose in line with the increase in international travel arrivals, the report said.

Istanbul saw a 16 percent increase in foreign tourist spending, while the mega city’s share in total expenditures was 51 percent.

The expenditures foreign visitors made in Antalya, one of the major holiday destinations in Türkiye on the Mediterranean coast, grew 22 percent.

Visitors from the U.K., Germany, the U.S., Saudi Arabia and the Netherlands accounted for half of total expenditures.

British tourists increased their spending while visiting Türkiye by 34 percent, capturing an 18 percent share in total expenditures.

Expenditures by Saudi visitors leaped 298 percent from a year ago, marking the largest increase recorded among all foreign tourists.

The shares of American and German tourists in total expenditures were 12 percent and 11 percent, respectively.

Foreign tourists spent most on accommodation, which made up 26 percent of all spending. International holidaymakers spent on average 187 on accommodation.

The average spending on apparel, supermarkets and restaurants amounted to $94, $16 and $24, respectively.

From January to August, 33.4 million foreign tourists visited Türkiye, up 14 percent from a year ago, the Tourism Ministry said last week.

 European pensioners

Meanwhile, Turkish hoteliers are hoping to see an influx of pensioner visitors from Europe in the months ahead.

Families with children have already returned home as schools opened, but now European pensioners have started to head to the Mediterranean countries, said Recep Yavuz, the president of the Antalya City Council’s Tourism Working Group.

"Pensioners are high spenders; they do not spend their time at the hotel but they travel around a lot,” he said.

This group of people, dubbed Best Ager, prefer the fall season to travel and vacation, according to Yavuz.

“We have brought pensioners from nine European countries. They traveled to Antalya, Cappadocia, Lycia and the destinations in the Aegean region. They spent the first half of their 14-day stay on cultural tours.”

“On each tour, they travel around 1,500 kilometers. They stop at different locations along the way and shop at local stores. This is a big contribution to the local businesses,” he said.