Turkey's income reaches $4.86 billion in first quarter

The Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) released first quarter 2015 tourism statistics yesterday. According to the report, tourism income increased by 1.3 percent, reaching nearly $4.86 billion in the first quarter. While 78.8 percent of this income was obtained from foreign visitors, 21.2 percent was obtained from Turkish citizen living abroad.

While the average expenditure of foreigners visiting the country was $884 per capita, the average expenditure of Turkish citizens living abroad was $994 per capita. The number of departing visitors increased by 5.5 percent compared to same quarter of the previous year – accounting for 5,344,575 visitors.

Tourism expenditures, including all money spent by foreign visitors as well as local nationals and Turkish citizens visiting from abroad, decreased by 6.1 percent compared to same quarter of the previous year – declining to nearly $1.28 billion.

In the first quarter, the number of Turkish citizens who went abroad increased by 7.9 percent compared to same quarter of the previous year, accounting for 1,865,059 people, with an average expenditure of $688 per capita.