Photo: sulox32 from Pixabay
According to China People’s Network, Turkiye has signed a series of agreements with Chinese authorities to increase the number of tourists from China in 2023, Uyghur Times Uyghur Edition reports. Turkiye’s Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism, Ozjur Özken Yavuz, recently said that Turkey has opened its arms wide and is ready to welcome Chinese tourists: “According to the number of tourists before the pandemic, Turkey is confident of receiving more tourists in the short term,” he said.
In 2019, Turkey welcomed more than 420,000 Chinese tourists. In 2022, Turkey’s tourism market gradually revived. According to government statistics, Turkey received about 42.2 million foreign tourists in the first 11 months of 2022, an increase of 84.77%. Turkish Blueberry Travel Agency CEO Ivan Kasil recently told reporters: “We expect Chinese tourists to visit Turkey and their number to return to the pre-pandemic level in the second half of this year. Chinese tourists love the Sea of Marmara, and overseas tourists want to leave Istanbul after seeing the Sea of Marmara.” “Professionals are planning how to welcome Chinese tourists in a better manner, arranging new travel programs and destinations, especially designing some unique short-haul travel routes,” said Sarkhan Kochikhan, an employee of Blueberry Travel Agency. Including newly restored and newly opened coastal tourist attractions, it caters to the diverse needs of Chinese tourists.”
Turkish Nevşehir University in the Cappadocia region has recently established a Chinese language and literature department to provide Chinese service talents to local tourism. Eden, who runs a hotel in Istanbul, said: “It is exciting to hear that China has resumed outbound tourism.