Tourists spent a billion dollars in souvenirs. Türkiye has recorded a good half

Tourists visiting Turkey spent souvenirs in the first half of 2025 a record sum – a billion dollars – Hurriyet said on Monday, citing the given Turkish Statistical Institute (Tuik).

In the first half of 2025, tourists spent $ 1.05 billion in souvenirs, which is a 15 % increase compared to the same period last year, when the expenses reached $ 904 million.

In total, Türkiye earned $ 25.78 billion from tourism revenues during this period, which is an increase of 7.6 percent. And it is the highest income from tourism in the first half of the year in the history of the country. The number of visitors to Turkey also increased by 1.7 percent, exceeding 25.53 million people.

Advertisement

Among the most frequently bought souvenirs were found magnets, textiles, sweets and carpets. The sale of souvenirs currently belongs to the most profitable segments of the Turkish tourist economy.

In total, tourists spend the most on food and drinks in Turkey, then on other goods and services, internal and international transport as well as clothing and footwear.

Türkiye, which was visited by 56.7 million tourists in 2024, became the fourth most visited country in the world – according to data from the World Tourism Organization. Last year's tourism revenues in the amount of $ 61.1 billion were another record in the history of this sector.

Jakub Bawołek (PAP)

JBW/ SP/