A Surprising Turkey Tourism Trend: Foreign Tourists Indulging More In Shopping And Dining While Health Travel Slips

Published on August 7, 2025 |

By: TTW News Desk

In nan first half of 2025, Turkey welcomed 25.53 cardinal overseas tourists, pinch a 2% summation compared to nan aforesaid time-period successful nan twelvemonth 2024. This adjacent maturation successful arrivals was followed by a emergence successful nan gross of Turkey tourism.

However, a displacement successful visitant interests emerged, highlighting really shopping and eating are starring nan complaint while wellness tourism — erstwhile a fast-growing conception — is experiencing a decline.

According to information from nan Turkish Statistical Institute, spending patterns show a clear displacement successful tourer preferences, pinch a notable boost successful unit and culinary experiences. The wellness tourism sector, which had antecedently been 1 of nan awesome drivers of growth, now faces challenges that frighten its caller trajectory.

Retail Tourism Shows Strong Recovery

A cardinal facet successful Türkiye’s tourism rebound is nan surge successful shopping-driven visits. Foreign visitors person progressively flocked to Turkish shopping centres and markets, spending heavy connected clothing, footwear, and souvenirs.

Retail-related tourism expenditure roseate by 183 Million USD, bringing full shopping gross to an awesome 3.74 Billion USD successful nan first half of 2025.

The number of visitors arriving chiefly for shopping besides grew by 7%, reaching 1.86 million. This represents 5.6% of nan full tourer arrivals, which is an summation from nan 5.4% stock seen successful 2024.

Experts property this maturation to nan favourable speech complaint and improved purchasing powerfulness among overseas visitors. With ostentation easing and nan Turkish Lira becoming much attractive, shoppers are progressively taking advantage of nan value-for-money acquisition Türkiye offers.

Gastronomy Gains Popularity Among Tourists

Another standout inclination is nan resurgence of gastronomy tourism. Dining successful Türkiye is drafting much world visitors, pinch restaurants and cafes benefiting from improved affordability. Foreign visitors are now capable to bask much of Türkiye’s rich | culinary offerings without nan load of rising prices astatine home.

Spending connected nutrient and beverages successful nan first half of 2025 accrued by 15%, totalling 5.43 Billion USD — a important 689 Million USD boost compared to 2024. This intends eating now accounts for 21.35% of full tourism revenue, up from 20% successful 2024.

This surge successful liking for section nutrient and portion is not surprising, arsenic Türkiye has agelong been known for its vibrant nutrient culture. Tourists are seeking retired everything from accepted thoroughfare nutrient to upscale eating experiences, driven successful portion by nan comparative affordability compared to different European destinations.

Health Tourism Faces Challenges

While different sectors of Turkey tourism are experiencing growth, nan wellness tourism conception successful Türkiye has faced important setbacks. Health tourism, which includes services for illustration hairsbreadth transplants, cosmetic surgery, and bariatric procedures, has traditionally been a beardown performer for Türkiye.

However, nan first half of 2025 saw a 68,000 driblet successful wellness tourism arrivals, pinch numbers falling from 801,000 to 733,000 visitors. This diminution has been accompanied by a 229 Million USD alteration successful revenue, bringing nan full to 1.39 Billion USD.

The reasons down this downturn are mostly tied to scandals and information concerns. High-profile cases involving diligent deaths and information issues person reduced spot successful Türkiye’s healthcare sector, deterring imaginable wellness tourists.

While nan assemblage remains important, it must now face nan situation of rebuilding its estimation and restoring assurance among world travellers.

Total Turkey Tourism Revenue Rises

Despite nan setbacks successful wellness tourism, Türkiye’s wide tourism gross saw a patient summation of 7% successful nan first half of 2025. The full gross reached 25.4 Billion USD, bolstered by nan maturation successful shopping and gastronomy sectors.

This highlights a basal displacement successful nan type of tourism Türkiye is attracting. While nan state still remains an important hub for aesculapian travel, its unit and eating experiences are becoming cardinal drivers of its tourism economy.

For now, shopping and gastronomy are playing a larger domiciled successful Türkiye’s tourism landscape, while wellness tourism continues to look challenges successful regaining its erstwhile momentum.

Looking Ahead: Adapting To New Turkey Tourism Trends

As Turkey goes deeper into nan 2nd half of 2025, nan tourism manufacture must proceed adapting to these changing visitant preferences. While maturation successful shopping and eating tourism looks promising, nan wellness tourism assemblage faces a important task of restoring its estimation and addressing information concerns.

Rebuilding spot will require important effort from some nationalist and backstage sectors to guarantee nan information and well-being of aesculapian tourists.

In nan meantime, nan caller roar successful unit arsenic good arsenic culinary experiences signifies a promising early for Türkiye’s tourism. With investments successful these sectors, nan federation tin support its position arsenic 1 of nan apical destinations for travellers worldwide.