Chinese Tourists in Turkey: 2025 Full Guide

Turkey is becoming an increasingly popular destination for Chinese tourists, with arrivals and spending BUT , it is not that easy to catch these travelers 😉

Chinese Tourists in Turkey: 10 Trends and Data List 土耳其

1. Growing Popularity: Turkey is becoming an increasingly popular destination for Chinese tourists, with arrivals growing steadily post-pandemic.
2. Luxury Travel: Affluent Chinese travelers are drawn to Turkey’s luxury resorts, private tours, and high-end shopping.
3. Cultural and Historical Appeal: Sites like Cappadocia, Hagia Sophia, and Ephesus attract history and culture enthusiasts.
4. Social Media Influence: Instagrammable spots like hot air balloon rides in Cappadocia and Pamukkale’s travertine terraces are viral on Chinese platforms.
5. Shopping Tourism: Turkish carpets, ceramics, and gold jewelry are highly sought after by Chinese shoppers.
6. E-Visa Convenience: Turkey’s easy e-visa process for Chinese citizens boosts its appeal.
7. Culinary Tourism: Turkish cuisine, especially kebabs and baklava, is gaining popularity among Chinese foodies.
8. Health and Wellness: Thermal spas and wellness retreats are attracting Chinese tourists seeking relaxation.
9. Adventure Tourism: Activities like hot air ballooning, paragliding, and hiking are trending.
10. Digital Integration: Chinese tourists expect seamless digital experiences, including mobile payments and Chinese-language services.

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Detailed Analysis

1. Growing Popularity

Turkey has emerged as a favored destination for Chinese tourists, with arrivals increasing significantly in recent years. In 2019, Turkey welcomed over 400,000 Chinese tourists, and numbers are rebounding post-pandemic. The country’s unique blend of Eastern and Western cultures, coupled with its affordability compared to Europe, makes it an attractive option.

2. Luxury Travel

Affluent Chinese travelers are drawn to Turkey’s luxury offerings, such as high-end resorts in Istanbul and Antalya, private yacht tours along the Turquoise Coast, and exclusive shopping experiences in Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar. Luxury brands and boutique hotels are catering to this demand by offering personalized services.

3. Cultural and Historical Appeal

Turkey’s rich history and cultural heritage are major draws for Chinese tourists. Iconic landmarks like Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and the ancient city of Ephesus are must-visit sites. Additionally, the surreal landscapes of Cappadocia and the ancient ruins of Pergamon appeal to history buffs and photographers alike.

4. Social Media Influence

Turkey’s picturesque locations are highly popular on Chinese social media platforms like Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) and Douyin (TikTok). Hot air balloon rides in Cappadocia, the travertine terraces of Pamukkale, and the vibrant streets of Istanbul are frequently shared, driving interest among Chinese travelers.

5. Shopping Tourism

Chinese tourists are avid shoppers, and Turkey offers unique products like handwoven carpets, intricate ceramics, and gold jewelry. Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar are particularly popular, with many vendors now accepting Alipay and WeChat Pay to cater to Chinese customers.

6. E-Visa Convenience

Turkey’s streamlined e-visa process for Chinese citizens has made it easier for tourists to visit. The quick and hassle-free application process is a significant factor in boosting Turkey’s appeal as a destination.

7. Culinary Tourism

Turkish cuisine is gaining popularity among Chinese food enthusiasts. Dishes like kebabs, baklava, and Turkish delight are widely enjoyed, and food tours are becoming a key part of the travel experience. Many restaurants now offer Chinese-language menus to cater to this growing demographic.

8. Health and Wellness

Turkey’s thermal spas and wellness retreats, particularly in Pamukkale and Yalova, are attracting Chinese tourists seeking relaxation and rejuvenation. These destinations offer a combination of natural beauty and therapeutic benefits.

9. Adventure Tourism

Adventure activities are increasingly popular among younger Chinese travelers. Hot air ballooning in Cappadocia, paragliding in Ölüdeniz, and hiking the Lycian Way are trending experiences that cater to thrill-seekers.

10. Digital Integration

Chinese tourists expect seamless digital experiences, including mobile payment options like Alipay and WeChat Pay, Chinese-language apps for navigation, and social media connectivity. Turkish businesses are increasingly adopting these technologies to enhance the visitor experience.

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Key Takeaways for Turkey’s Tourism Industry

• Language Services: Increasing the availability of Mandarin-speaking guides and Chinese-language materials.
• Marketing: Leveraging Chinese social media platforms to promote Turkey’s attractions.
• Payment Systems: Expanding the use of Alipay and WeChat Pay in hotels, restaurants, and shops.
• Customized Experiences: Offering tailored tours and activities that cater to Chinese preferences, such as cultural immersion and luxury experiences.

By aligning with these trends, Turkey can further solidify its position as a top destination for Chinese tourists, ensuring sustained growth in this lucrative market.

The relationship between Turkey and China

The Turkish government wants to improve tourism ties between Turkey and China. Numan Kurtulmus, the Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister said during a visit to Beijing that China will soon become one of Turkey’s “most important” tourism partners. “Around 250,000 Chinese tourists came to Turkey last year. There is no reason not to increase this number to 500,000.” The Turkish Foreign Ministry added that he considers tourism a key factor for improving its relationship with China. He also said that 2018 will see last year’s $26 billion tourism revenue reach $32 billion.

Tourism in Turkey

A leading tourism player from the Aegean province of Denizli, where Pamukkale is located with its iconic white travertine stones, said up to 95 percent of Chinese tourists visiting Turkey came to Pamukkale. Other popular destinations for Chinese tourists are Istanbul and Cappadocia. The latter attracted more than 250,000 Chinese tourists in 2017, aiming to draw 500,000 this year. Tourists in the city, which is part of UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage List, marvel at its outlandish landscape, enjoy horse riding, all-terrain vehicle and hot balloon tours. Tourists can also visit the Göreme Open Air Museum, Paşabağı, the Zelve Ruins, Derinkuyu and the Kaymaklı underground cities.

How to attract more Chinese tourists in Turkey?

Promoting Turkey as a travel destination in China requires a strategic approach that leverages Red Notes (Xiaohongshu), one of China’s most influential social media platforms. Here’s a detailed plan focusing on content creation, ads, community management, and KOC (Key Opinion Consumer) collaboration, as well as utilizing an official account effectively:

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1. Content Creation (in Chinese 😉 ) 

Key Themes for Red Notes Content

• Visual Appeal: High-quality photos and videos of Turkey’s iconic landmarks (e.g., Cappadocia hot air balloons, Pamukkale terraces, Hagia Sophia).
• Cultural Stories: Share fascinating stories about Turkey’s history, culture, and traditions.
• Travel Guides: Detailed itineraries, tips, and must-visit spots for first-time travelers.
• Food and Shopping: Highlight Turkish cuisine (kebabs, baklava) and shopping experiences (Grand Bazaar, Turkish carpets).
• Adventure and Wellness: Showcase adventure activities (hot air ballooning, paragliding) and wellness retreats (thermal spas).

Content Formats

• Short Videos: 15-60 second clips of scenic spots, activities, and food.
• Photo Carousels: Before-and-after travel transformations or “10 Must-Do Things in Turkey.”
• User-Generated Content (UGC): Encourage travelers to share their experiences with branded hashtags.
• Live Streams: Host live sessions with influencers or locals showcasing Turkish culture and destinations.

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2. Ads on Red Notes

Ad Types

• In-Feed Ads: Sponsored posts that appear naturally in users’ feeds.
• Search Ads: Ads that appear when users search for travel-related keywords like “Turkey travel” or “Cappadocia.”
• KOL Collaborations: Partner with travel influencers to create sponsored content.

Ad Content Ideas

• Seasonal Campaigns: Promote Turkey’s spring tulip festivals or winter hot air balloon experiences.
• Special Offers: Highlight visa-free entry, flight deals, or hotel discounts.
• Interactive Ads: Use quizzes like “Which Turkish Destination Matches Your Personality?”

Targeting

• Demographics: Focus on affluent, young professionals and families in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities.
• Interests: Target users interested in luxury travel, photography, and cultural experiences.

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3. Community Management

Engagement Strategies

• Hashtag Campaigns: Create branded hashtags like #DiscoverTurkey or #TurkishEscape to encourage UGC.
• Q&A Sessions: Host regular Q&A sessions to answer travel-related questions.
• Contests and Giveaways: Run contests where users can win trips to Turkey or Turkish souvenirs.

Moderation

• Respond Promptly: Reply to comments and messages quickly to build trust and engagement.
• Highlight UGC: Share and repost high-quality user content to foster a sense of community.

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4. KOC (Key Opinion Consumer) Collaboration

Why KOCs?

KOCs are everyday consumers with smaller but highly engaged followings. They are seen as more authentic and relatable than KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders).

Collaboration Ideas

• Travel Diaries: Partner with KOCs to document their trips to Turkey, focusing on unique experiences.
• Product Reviews: Have KOCs review Turkish products like carpets, ceramics, or food items.
• Challenges: Launch challenges like “Capture the Best Turkish Sunset” to encourage participation.

Incentives

• Free Trips: Offer KOCs complimentary trips to Turkey in exchange for content.
• Exclusive Access: Provide KOCs with exclusive experiences, such as private tours or cooking classes.

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5. Official Account on Red Notes

Account Setup

• Profile Optimization: Use a visually appealing profile picture (e.g., Turkish flag or iconic landmark) and a bio in Chinese highlighting Turkey’s unique selling points.
• Content Calendar: Plan and schedule posts regularly to maintain engagement.

Content Ideas for Official Account

• Behind-the-Scenes: Share behind-the-scenes content of Turkish culture, such as carpet weaving or baklava making.
• Travel Tips: Post practical tips like “How to Apply for a Turkish E-Visa” or “Best Time to Visit Cappadocia.”
• Interactive Posts: Use polls, quizzes, and questions to engage followers.

Engagement Tactics

• Exclusive Offers: Share exclusive discounts or deals for followers.
• Live Streams: Host live streams with Turkish locals or travel experts to answer questions and showcase destinations.

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Example Campaign: “Discover Turkey”

1. Content: Post stunning visuals of Cappadocia, Pamukkale, and Istanbul with captions in Chinese.
2. Ads: Run in-feed ads targeting young professionals interested in luxury travel.
3. KOCs: Partner with 10-20 KOCs to share their Turkey travel experiences using the hashtag #DiscoverTurkey.
4. Community: Launch a contest where users share their dream Turkey itinerary for a chance to win a trip.
5. Official Account: Host a live stream with a Turkish travel expert to answer questions and promote the campaign.

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By leveraging Red Notes effectively with compelling content, targeted ads, active community management, KOC collaborations, and a well-managed official account, Turkey can successfully capture the attention of Chinese travelers and position itself as a top destination.

Chinese tourists have high expectations in international tourism by selecting their travel agency online. In China, 80% of booking reservations are realized online. Therefore, accessing Chinese consumers online is the best way to reach them and generate traffic to your website and have potential customers in contact with your company.

Increase your visibility with SEO on Baidu

SEO on Baidu is the key for the visibility of your business in China. Baidu is the most used search engine in China, it ranks 5th mong the most visited sites in the world and currently has more than 800 million web pages. Baidu now offers a wide range of services, such as web searches, image search, music, forums or a Q&A service. SEO on Baidu requires several steps, which may be different from what needs to be done on Google. The notions of trust and notoriety remain essential for schools wishing to enter the Chinese market and be visible on Baidu. Key SEO strategies include keyword optimization, backlinks, and content sharing, this is the way to generate quality traffic. Compared with SEA, SEO takes more time, but it is long term solution in terms of developing a better e-reputation and is ultimately more stable. The quality search result won’t disappear after you stop the campaign, on the contrary, you will remain higher in the rankings and continue to drive traffic.

A Chinese website

A website in Chinese is necessary to enter a market and realize branding. This is an efficient solution to increase the popularity of your products, influence consumers with content and design, and develop the image of your company in the country. Moreover, having a website written in mandarin is essential. Chinese consumers spend more than 40% of their daily life on Internet and these internet users trust more Chinese websites than English websites.

E-reputation and online public relations

Having a good reputation online is essential in China. Public Relations is one of the key points on which any digital marketing strategy should be based. More than attract Chinese travelers to your website, it is important to raise your company awareness and to make it more visible for Chinese by using online Public Relations.

Chinese internet users spend more than 40% of their spare time on the internet, therefore, you should favor online public relations.

Video advertisement (Douyin) 

The ratio of smartphone users in China has been increased tremendously. Last year, digital ad spending in China reached $40.42 bn, a 30% increase on the previous years’ spending. Ad spend in China is expected to reach over $80 bn by 2020.

The numbers speak for themselves, this is a lucrative arena in terms of spend and return on investment. Chinese people like to watch videos on smartphones and you can develop unique ideas to spread your brand awareness campaigns through effective video messages. Advertising in China is however a very unique eco-system that requires a different approach, understanding and mind-set. When it comes to ad spending you have to understand not only the most popular platforms in terms of user number but also, and most importantly, the infrastructure each platform has for advertising services.

Social media

China is the world largest connected country: more than 90% of Chinese people have an account on at least one Chinese social network. Wechat is the social media the most used in China and, regardless of the size of your company, it is an essential media to develop your marketing strategy in the country.

By promoting your products on social media, you can build a community surround your company, reach your target, get feedback and create a friendlier company image. 

If you are struggling to enter the Chinese market, a digital marketing agency is your best choice. Do not hesitate to contact us for more information!

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