The interest of Chinese tourists in Türkiye is growing as a 15% annual rise was observed in early-bird bookings for 2024, a top sector official told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Monday.
"Türkiye could welcome 10 million tourists from China," said Mehmet Işler, the vice president of the Turkish Hoteliers Federation (TÜROFED).
Speaking to AA, Işler recalled Türkiye had a successful year in tourism and that, based on early reservations, the momentum would continue in 2024 as well.
The Chinese government lifting restrictions on its citizens traveling abroad will help fuel tourist arrivals in Türkiye, he explained.
"Türkiye has the chance to attract 20% of its current number of tourists from the Chinese market alone," he said.
Emphasizing Türkiye's commitment to the promotion, Işler highlighted the role of early booking campaigns in bolstering the outlook for tourism professionals.
According to the latest data, the German market takes the lead, showcasing robust performance, while the U.K. market demonstrates noteworthy development, said Işler. Additionally, the markets of the Netherlands, France and Poland remain notably active in contributing to Türkiye's tourism landscape, he noted.
Işler 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 Nevşehir 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.
Furthermore, he also mentioned that the Chinese prefer months other than the summer months, which is referred to as the high season and added that this is valuable in terms of the goal of spreading tourism to 12 months.
He noted that Türkiye welcomed 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.