Backpackers coming to Turkey spend more money compared to the average tourist, contrary to popular belief that backpackers are 'cheapos' that don't like to cash out, research shows.
Backpackers are generally young people, who go on long trips with low budgets and sometimes work during their travels.
Backpackers coming to Istanbul are mainly from Germany, Australia, France, America and New Zealand. 56 percent are women, 44 percent are men and, 80 percent are single while nearly three-quarters are under 30 years old and more than three quarters have university education, according to statistics
On average, they stay in Turkey for 11.5 days, and 6 days in Istanbul. On the other hand, the average length of stay for all foreign tourists in Turkey is 4.3 days.
This means that the average length of stay of backpackers in Turkey is 2.6 times more than the average tourist. They also spend an average of $972 per person, which is almost $300 more than the average tourist spends.
The most popular destinations preferred by backpackers in Turkey are Cappadocia, Gallipoli, Ephesus, Hierapolis and Antalya, along with Istanbul.
Tourism, in addition to closing 60 percent of Turkey's current deficit, reflects positively on exports and foreign policy.
Around 80 percent of tourists coming to Turkey support the country's EU membership, according to research carried out in Europe. On the other hand, 80 percent of those who have not visited Turkey oppose Turkey's EU membership.
