Türkiye’s recent decision to grant visa-free entry to Chinese citizens has sparked a surge in travel interest, with flight searches from China to Türkiye skyrocketing.
Currently, around 400,000 Chinese tourists visit Türkiye annually, but industry experts predict this number will climb to 1 million by the end of 2026.
Following the announcement on visa-free travel, searches for flights from Chinese cities to Istanbul rose 6.3 times compared to the previous week. Antalya saw a 1.3-fold increase, while searches for the western province of İzmir on the Aegean coast doubled.
Tourism professionals highlight that Chinese travelers are among the world’s highest-spending visitor groups.
On average, they spend between $2,500 and $5,000 per trip.
Antalya, which welcomed more than 10,500 Chinese tourists last year, is now anticipating a significant rise in visitors from China.
Kaan Kaşif Kavaloğlu, president of the Mediterranean Touristic Hoteliers and Operators Association, noted that they recently hosted executives from Trip.com, China’s largest direct and online travel sales platform, arranging programs that allowed the delegation to visit Antalya, Istanbul, the Aegean region and Cappadocia.
Kavaloğlu emphasized pointed out that Turkish TV series enjoy high viewership in China, which positively influences tourism.
He highlighted that Chinese tourists tend to prefer shoulder seasons rather than peak summer months.
He added that this trend would not only diversify Antalya’s tourism offerings but also extend the tourism season, making a substantial contribution to the region’s industry.
