With the entry into force of the elimination of visa requirements for citizens of the People’s Republic of China, the Turkish authorities expect this year an increase in Chinese tourists to places like the site of Göbeklitepe, and are already preparing new promotional campaigns aimed at the Chinese market to significantly increase the influx to this exceptional archaeological site – 12,000 years old and known as the ‘ground zero of history’– declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2018.
Speaking to Turkish media, the provincial director of Culture and Tourism of Şanlıurfa, Aydın Aslan, explained that tourists from the Far East show a strong interest in cultural tourism. For this reason, Şanlıurfa province has precisely a great potential to attract Chinese visitors, so the local authorities expect to receive a greater number of tourists from the Asian country.
“We believe that these facilitation measures taken by our government (with the visa exemption for Chinese tourists) will increase tourism in the region in favour of visitors from the Far East. China is actually the world’s largest target market for cultural tourism; and as a region, we are also focusing on this market. We are going to increase our promotional activities targeting China on the Stone Hills Project of Şanlıurfa, especially in 2026 and 2027,” he said while talking about the Taş Tepeler project, which encompasses a dozen archaeological excavations at Neolithic sites in Şanlıurfa province.
Müslüm Çoban, a tourism professional in the region, confirmed that the Chinese are among the most active travellers in the world and that their interest in this part of Turkey is not new: “The Chinese population was already showing interest in Şanlıurfa even before the visa exemption. With visa facilities in place since 2026, we expect many more Chinese tourists to arrive. China is especially supportive of the Stone Hills Project, both financially and in terms of human resources,” he said.
“Chinese tourists enjoy travelling, taking pictures and eating good food,” Çoban said. “In that sense, Şanlıurfa is an ideal destination for people from China because of its archaeological history, tourist attractions and excellent cuisine. We look forward to welcoming our Chinese guests to Şanlıurfa, Göbeklitepe and other archaeological sites”, he concluded.
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Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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