Turkey Ranks Second in Travel Destinations for European Union Citizens

According to data from the European Statistical Office, Eurostat, Turkey was the second preferred choice with an 11 percent share in personal travel conducted by residents of European Union countries outside the bloc in 2024.

European Union Travel Data

According to 2024 data published by the European Statistical Office, citizens residing in European Union countries made a total of approximately 1.19 billion tourism trips with at least one overnight stay.

Travel Preferences and Rates

A large portion of the total tourism trips taken remained within the borders of the bloc. Citizens made 71.3% of their travels within their own countries, 20.9% in another member state, and 7.8% to destinations outside the bloc.

Duration of Stay and Expenditures

While the average length of stay for trips was calculated as 5 nights, this duration increased to 4 nights for domestic travel and 8 nights for international travel. Total tourism expenditures reached approximately 618 billion euros in 2024.

Turkey's Position and Visitor Count

Turkey was among the leading countries in personal travel made by European Union citizens outside the bloc for reasons such as holidays and visiting relatives, attracting 8.8 million visitors.

An 11 percent share of personal travel from the European Union to outside the bloc was directed to Turkey, making the country the second most preferred travel destination with this rate.

Other Preferred Countries

According to the published data, the United Kingdom ranked first on the list with 14.4 million trips and an 18 percent share, while the United States ranked third with a 7 percent share, and Switzerland ranked fourth with the same share.