Overseas Tourists spent $6.5 billion on food in Turkey According to a recent culinary tourism report by the Turkish Association of Travel Agents (TÜRSAB) the 41.4 million foreign tourists who visited Turkey in 2014 spent $6.523 billion on food, some 19 percent of their combined expenditure of $34.3 billion.
TÜRSAB’s report states that the number of tourists surpassed 1 billion around the world and about 88.2 percent of all tourists traveling worldwide observe cuisine as a considerable factor when determining destinations for travel.
On the contrary, Turkish traveling abroad each spends some $194 each on food per year.
According to the TÜRSAB’s report, 7.98 million Turkish citizens went abroad in 2014, spending around $5.47 billion, of which $1.55 billion was spent on food expenditures.
TÜRSAB President Başaran Ulusoy said that gastronomy takes an important place in value-added substitute tourism. Ulusoy stated every city in Turkey is in competition to promote its unique tastes. The TÜRSAB will prepare exclusive promotional activities for the cities like Adana, Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa, Hatay and Mardin, where Japanese
tourists flock into.
Ulusoy underlined the importance of registered local products approved by the public institutions. The Turkish Patent Institute has approved 124 food products with a geographical indication and further 185 products awaiting approval. Ulusoy said the higher number of registered local foods; the easier traditional cuisine will be promoted in abroad.
