Visa has announced the 2022 results of the Visa Mediterranean Tourism Analysis, which provides insights into card spending trends for foreign tourists traveling to Europe's Mediterranean coastal countries. According to the statement made by Visa, while the expenditures of tourists with their cards grew by 43 percent in the Mediterranean basin, this rate reached 90 percent in Turkey.
Visa Mediterranean Tourism Analysis, which examines the expenditures of tourists in Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Malta and Croatia, which have a coast on the Mediterranean together with Turkey, revealed that Turkey is the most growing market among these countries in 2022.
According to the analysis, the number of card visitors in these countries in the Mediterranean basin in 2022 increased by 17 percent compared to 2019, the last "normal" year before the epidemic, while it increased by 43 percent in Turkey.
While the expenditures of tourists with their cards grew by 43 percent in the Mediterranean basin, this rate reached 90 percent in Turkey. While expenditures per card increased by 22 percent in the Mediterranean basin, this growth was 32 percent in Turkey. The figures pointed out that Turkey is the Mediterranean's star in tourism in 2022.
Most card spending is in Istanbul
According to Visa Mediterranean Tourism Analysis, the first 3 tourism corridors to visit Turkey in 2022 were tourists from England, America and Germany.
Tourists from America, England and Saudi Arabia made the top three with their cards. However, when we look at those who spend the most per card, the Gulf countries came to the fore.
According to Visa Mediterranean Tourism Analysis, Istanbul was the city where tourists spend the most in 2022. Istanbul was followed by Antalya and Muğla.
While tourists from America and Gulf countries spent the most with their cards in Istanbul, those from England and Germany in Antalya, and those from England and America in Muğla were the ones who spent the most with their cards.
According to the analysis, one out of every 5 tourists who visited Turkey in 2021 chose Turkey again in 2022.
One of the important insights provided by the analysis in terms of tourism strategy is that tourists who come to the country for the second time spend about twice the average tourist expenditure on a foreign currency basis.
According to Visa Mediterranean Tourism Analysis, in 2022, retail shopping is leading by 43 percent in the expenditures of tourists in Turkey.
In this respect, Turkey differs from other Mediterranean countries where touristic accommodation and eating and drinking are at the forefront. The second important expenditure category in Turkey was accommodation and food and beverage, which accounted for 37 percent of tourist expenditures.
The health sector, on the other hand, drew attention as the third largest category, accounting for 7 percent of tourist expenditures visiting Turkey.
"Analysis reveals many strategic insights"
Sertan Şener, Head of Consultancy and Analytics, Visa Southern Europe, whose views were given in the statement, stated that the analysis provided invaluable insights about the spending trends of foreign tourists in the country as a result of the analysis of Visa's card spending data, and said:
"The analysis reveals many strategic insights in terms of the tourism sector, from the higher tourism income left by the tourists who revisit our country, to Turkey's prominence in retail shopping and health tourism. We hope that this information will shed light on all stakeholders of the tourism industry in developing strategies for the conscious targeting of certain tourist segments and spreading the season over 12 months in order to increase the tourism revenues of our country.”