Turks choose to ‘stay with friends, relatives’ during domestic travels

Recent data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT) highlighted a significant discovery that domestic travel from April to June 2024 was primarily driven by visits to friends and relatives.

During this period, the majority of those traveling within Türkiye stayed at the homes of friends or family members, highlighting a preference for familiar surroundings over hotels or other accommodations.

16M people traveled domestically in second quarter

According to the report, 16.1 million residents of Türkiye traveled domestically in the second quarter of the year. The total number of trips, including at least one overnight stay, surged by 23.3% compared to the same period last year, reaching 19.8 million.

During this period, domestic travelers recorded 118.3 million overnight stays, averaging 6 nights per trip.

Domestic travel expenditure soars

Expenditure by domestic tourists in Türkiye experienced a significant rise, increasing by 115.8% during the period to a total ₺103.1 billion ($3 billion).

Of this amount, 90% (₺92.8 billion, or $2.7 billion) was attributed to personal expenses, while the remaining 10% (₺10.3 billion, around $300 million) was spent on package tours. The average spending per trip was recorded at ₺5,200 ($151).

Food, beverage expenses lead spending

In terms of expenditure categories, food and beverage accounted for the largest share at 33.1%, followed by transportation (27.3%) and accommodation (14.1%).

Compared to the previous year, spending on food and beverages increased by 117.1%, while transportation and accommodation saw rises of 123% and 112.2%, respectively.

Purpose of travel: Family visits remain on top

In the second quarter, trips to visit family and friends ranked highest, accounting for 62.4% of all domestic travel.

Following this were trips for leisure, entertainment, and vacation at 31.6%, and health-related travel at 2.7%.

Travelers predominantly stayed at the homes of friends or relatives, recording 86.6 million overnight stays in such accommodations. “Own homes” followed with 13.9 million nights, while hotels accounted for 10.3 million overnight stays.