China becomes Türkiye's fastest-growing tourism market

Chinese tourists visit Cappadocia region in Türkiye on Jan. 4, 2026. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)

ISTANBUL, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye received nearly 245,000 Chinese visitors in the first half of the year, making China the country's fastest-growing tourism market, the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency told Xinhua on Monday.

Data from the Culture and Tourism Ministry showed that the number of Chinese visitors rose 28.05 percent year-on-year in the first six months, according to the agency.

"This 28.05 percent increase represents the highest growth rate among Türkiye's tourism markets in the first half of the year, making China the market with the strongest growth," the agency said.

The growth in the Chinese market stood out against Türkiye's broader tourism performance -- the country received a total of 25.7 million visitors in the first half of the year, down 2.39 percent from the same period in 2025.

Sinan Seha Turkseven, general manager of the agency, said the surge is a positive indicator for Türkiye's long-term tourism strategy as the country pursues a goal of welcoming one million Chinese visitors.

"To support this vision, we are taking concrete steps to deepen interest among Chinese travelers and diversify their experiences in Türkiye," he told Xinhua.

A group of Chinese tourists arrive at Istanbul Airport in Istanbul, Türkiye, Jan. 2, 2026. (Xinhua/Liu Lei)

Türkiye introduced visa exemptions for Chinese citizens holding ordinary passports on Jan. 2, 2026, while direct flight connections with major Chinese cities have also expanded in recent years.

Other initiatives targeting the Chinese market include the launch of a dedicated Chinese-language section on GoTürkiye, Türkiye's official tourism promotion platform, and Istanbul Airport's "China-Friendly Airport" certification, which features Chinese-language signage, digitally supported services, and Chinese-speaking staff.

A series of promotional events, including the Chinese Year of the Horse Festival held in Cappadocia in February, also helped raise Türkiye's visibility among Chinese travelers, Turkseven noted.

Irfan Karsli, owner of Ligarba Travel Agency and chairman of the Turkish-Chinese Cultural Association, said the visa exemption had boosted Chinese travelers' interest in Türkiye.

Searches for Türkiye on major Chinese travel platforms had significantly increased, he said. "We see a clear increase in demand, and we expect this upward trend to continue."

The increase is also visible in Türkiye's cultural tourism sector. Rahmi Asal, director of the Istanbul Archaeological Museums, told Xinhua that Chinese tourists were now among the leading foreign visitor groups to the museums this year.