Göbeklitepe aims to draw Chinese tourists

ŞANLIURFA

Promotional efforts targeting Chinese tourists will be intensified in the coming years to significantly increase visitor numbers at Göbeklitepe — the extraordinary 12,000-year-old archaeological site, often hailed as the “zero point of history” and proudly inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

With visa-free travel for citizens of the People’s Republic of China now in effect, officials anticipate an increase in the number of visitors to Göbeklitepe in 2026.

Şanlıurfa’s Provincial Director of Culture and Tourism, Aydın Aslan, told state-run Anadolu Agency that tourists from the Far East generally show strong interest in cultural tourism.

For this reason, Aslan said, Şanlıurfa holds significant potential for Chinese visitors, adding that authorities expect to host more tourists from China as of the new year.

Noting that preparatory work has already begun, Aslan said: “We believe that such facilitative steps taken by our state, such as visa exemption for citizens of the People’s Republic of China, will increase tourism activity in the region in favor of visitors coming from the Far East. In this sense, we see this as a positive development. China is actually the world’s largest target market in cultural tourism. As a region, we have also turned toward this market. In particular, we will increase our promotional activities in China for the Şanlıurfa Stone Hills Project in 2026 and 2027.”

 Tourism sector optimistic

Tourism operator Müslüm Çoban said Chinese travelers rank among the most frequent travelers worldwide.

He noted that even before visa-free travel, Chinese tourists had shown interest in Şanlıurfa.

“With this visa facilitation in place as of 2026, we hope more Chinese visitors will come,” Çoban said. “Recently, Chinese officials have also visited Şanlıurfa. China supports the Stone Hills Project both financially and in terms of human resources. We can already see that more Chinese citizens will visit Şanlıurfa and our region in 2026. Chinese tourists enjoy traveling, taking photographs and eating good food. In that respect, Şanlıurfa is truly a suitable destination for them with its archaeological history, tourist attractions and rich cuisine. We are looking forward to welcoming our Chinese guests to Şanlıurfa, Göbeklitepe and other excavation sites.”