China-Türkiye Tourism Cooperation Meeting Held in Istanbul

Müberra Eresin, President of the Association of Turkish Hoteliers-TÜROB, attended the "China-Türkiye Tourism Cooperation Meeting" held at the Shangri-La Bosphorus Hotel Istanbul, hosted by Mr. Wei Xiaodong, Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Istanbul.

The meeting, held within the framework of a mutual exchange of views, provided an opportunity to share constructive ideas and proposals that will advance tourism relations between the two countries. Topics such as joint promotional activities, the development of guiding services, and the harmonization of tourism infrastructure came to the fore in particular. Officials from the Chinese Consulate General in Istanbul drew attention to the importance of holding such meetings at regular intervals and stated that they believe the friendly relations between Türkiye and China will be further strengthened through tourism. The meeting, in which new trends observed in Chinese tourists' travels to Türkiye, the main problems Turkish citizens encounter during their travels to China, and solution proposals and cooperation opportunities aimed at increasing mutual tourism mobility were evaluated, was also attended by representatives of the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Istanbul, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Turkey Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB), and the Union of Tourist Guides (TUREB), as well as TÜROB Secretary General İsmail Taşdemir, TÜROB Press Advisor Belma Toprak, and representatives of Chinese non-governmental organizations.

Speaking at the meeting, Müberra Eresin, President of the Association of Turkish Hoteliers (TÜROB), began her remarks by thanking Mr. Wei Xiaodong, Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Istanbul, for hosting the meeting. Expressing her satisfaction with the growing tourism relations between the two countries, Eresin noted that the number of Chinese visitors coming to Türkiye reached 410,000 at the end of 2024, and that this number is expected to rise to 500,000 by the end of 2025. "Our medium-term target for visitors from China to our country is 1 million, and in order to reach this target, we at TÜROB are continuing our efforts in coordination with all our stakeholders, foremost the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Turkey Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA)," Eresin said, emphasizing that Chinese visitors most prefer cities such as Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale, Antalya, and Izmir, and that historical destinations such as Göbeklitepe, Troy, İznik, and Çatalhöyük also carry high potential. Drawing attention to the need to increase the number of direct flights, strengthen transportation infrastructure, and facilitate visa processes, Eresin stated that the steps to be taken in these areas would significantly increase tourism demand for Türkiye.