Turkish travelers spend $362 million on souvenirs during trips abroad

ANKARA

Turkish citizens spent $362 million on souvenirs during their trips abroad in the January-June period of 2026, according to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK).

Türkiye generated $25.75 billion in tourism revenue in the first half of the year. Meanwhile, tourism expenditure by Turkish residents traveling abroad totaled $5.2 billion, marking a 0.4 percent decrease compared with the same period last year.

Data on overseas spending showed that Turkish travelers brought back $362 million worth of souvenirs during the six-month period. In the first half of 2025, spending on souvenirs had amounted to $396 million.

Expenditure classified under the category of “carpets, rugs and similar products,” which is separate from souvenirs, reached $2.2 million in the January-June period. The figure had stood at $27.7 million in the corresponding period a year earlier.

The largest share of Turkish tourists’ spending abroad was accounted for by accommodation and food and beverage expenses.

Accommodation spending increased from $905 million in the first half of 2025 to $1 billion in the same period this year.

Food and beverage expenditures rose from $950 million to $1.1 billion year-on-year.

Spending categorized as “other expenditures” declined from $476 million in the first half of last year to $441 million this year.