Cultural tours gain popularity as travelers seek lower-cost alternatives

Özge Esen- ISTANBUL  

The number of travelers seeking alternatives to traditional beach holidays is increasing, with experience-focused travel preferences and budget concerns driving demand for cultural tours.

Industry representatives said demand for such tours has risen around 20 percent from a year earlier, as they offer the opportunity to visit multiple destinations at roughly 50 percent lower cost than seaside vacations.

People from the tourism industry said travelers looking to spend less on vacations while visiting several destinations on a single trip are increasingly choosing cultural tours.

The most popular destinations include Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa, Mardin, Diyarbakır and Cappadocia. Television series have also contributed to demand, particularly for Mardin, Trabzon, Artvin and Rize.

Hamit Kuk, a board member of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TURSAB), said consumers are turning to cultural tours that allow them to travel more with smaller budgets.

Cultural tours are relatively more affordable than coastal holidays, he said, adding that many travelers prefer visiting several destinations through a cultural tour instead of spending their vacation at a hotel in Antalya.

İlham Seyyale, owner of Folk Tur, said demand for cultural tours has increased by around 20 percent compared with last year. He noted that cultural routes are increasingly being combined with gastronomy and festival programs and said cultural and gastronomy tours appear set to become the leading travel segment. Mardin, Diyarbakır and Şanlıurfa are among the most preferred destinations, he added.

Mustafa Kemal Çubuk, deputy general manager responsible for sales and operations at TatilBudur, said demand for cultural tours has risen by 20-30 percent year-on-year. “Rising holiday costs are prompting domestic tourists to plan their trips more selectively, while travelers increasingly seek routes focused on discovery, learning and experiences,” he noted.

Cultural heritage destinations, local gastronomy experiences and short thematic tours are among the main drivers of demand, he said.

Cubuk said interest in experience-, culture- and gastronomy-focused holidays has increased during the 2026 summer season, highlighting destinations such as Cappadocia, Göbeklitepe, Mardin and Gaziantep. He added that prices for cultural tours have risen by an average of 5-10 percent compared with last year.