Chinese tourists' interest in Türkiye growing

IZMIR, Türkiye

The interest of Chinese tourists in Türkiye is growing with a 15% annual rise in early-bird bookings for 2024, a top official at the Turkish Hoteliers Federation (TUROFED) told Anadolu.

"Türkiye could welcome 10 million tourists from China," said Mehmet Isler, the group’s vice president.

The Chinese government lifting restrictions on its citizens traveling abroad will help fuel tourist arrivals in Türkiye, Isler explained.

"Türkiye has the chance to attract 20% of its current number of tourists from the Chinese market alone," he said.

Isler stressed that the Chinese are interested in the fields of culture and cuisine tourism and especially want to visit Istanbul, the picturesque Cappadocia region in the central Nevsehir province, the ancient city of Ephesus in the Aegean province of Izmir, Hierapolis (Pamukkale) in the western province of Denizli, the Pergamon UNESCO World Heritage site located in the city of Bergama near the Aegean coast, the ancient city of Sardis in the western province of Manisa, and the famed resort city of Antalya on the Turkish Riviera.

Türkiye welcomed a total of 198,807 tourists from China in January-October, up from 89,515 in 2022 and 26,000 in 2021 when the country imposed restrictions on group travels due to the pandemic, he noted.