Shopping Tourism in Turkey: How Cross-Border Visits Became Trade Routes

In the first quarter of 2025, Georgian residents made 482,000 visits abroad. Nearly one in three — 154,000 — were for shopping purposes (Geostat). This shows that shopping is no longer a secondary reason for travel but a major driver of outbound tourism.

Georgian travelers spent over 207 million GEL on shopping during this period, which accounted for nearly half of all travel-related expenditures (Geostat). On average, 429 GEL was spent per visit on shopping alone — highlighting that for many, this is a planned and financially significant activity rather than a spontaneous decision.

Turkey remains the most popular destination, with 185,000 visits recorded in the first quarter alone (Geostat). Its popularity is driven by geographic proximity, competitive prices, and a well-developed retail infrastructure tailored to Georgian consumers. Cities like Trabzon, Istanbul, and Rize are already familiar routes for shoppers.

Yet inflation in Turkey has raised certain red flags. For instance, hotel prices surged by 68 percent in the third quarter of 2024 (PMCG). Nevertheless, as long as product prices remain favorable, tourist flow appears stable. The vast majority of Georgian shoppers are repeat visitors — 99 percent of trips in Q1 2025 were made by those who had already traveled before (Geostat). This suggests that shopping routes are well-established and purpose-driven.

Another noticeable trend is the growing role of small and mid-sized online sellers. Many of them travel to Turkey themselves to source goods they later resell in Georgia through informal or semi-formal channels. Social media is filled with pages offering Turkish products to Georgian buyers. In this sense, shopping tourism has also evolved into a form of micro-import activity.