Turkey has introduced visa-free travel for Chinese citizens, a move aimed at accelerating tourism growth and deepening travel ties between the two countries. The decision was published in the Official Gazette on 31 December 2025 and entered into force on 2 January, making it easier for Chinese travellers to visit Turkey without prior visa procedures.
The policy is expected to support Turkey’s ambition to welcome 500,000 Chinese visitors by the end of 2025 and reach 1 million arrivals annually in the medium term. Tourism officials say the change will boost individual travel, increase per-person spending, and strengthen Turkey’s position in the competitive Chinese outbound travel market.
A strategic shift in Turkey–China tourism ties
Industry leaders welcomed the announcement as a long-awaited step. Müberra Eresin, President of the Turkish Hoteliers Association (TÜROB), described the visa exemption as “a very important, historic and strategic step for Turkey–China tourism relations.”
Eresin said the decision reflects the growing importance of China as a source market for Turkish tourism, pointing to its expanding middle class, rising appetite for overseas travel and cultural affinities with Turkey. “We see this decision as a very important step for the tourism sector for 2026,” she said. “China is an extremely important market with great potential for Turkish tourism.”
According to TÜROB data shared by Eresin, Turkey hosted 430,000 Chinese tourists in 2019 before the pandemic caused a sharp decline. Visitor numbers recovered to 250,000 in 2023, with arrivals expected to reach 410,000 by the end of 2024. “Reaching 500,000 Chinese visitors by the end of 2025 and hosting 1 million Chinese tourists annually in the medium term are among our goals,” she said.
The visa exemption follows high-level political engagement between Ankara and Beijing. Eresin highlighted the role of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy in advancing the policy, as well as meetings between President Erdoğan and Chinese President Xi Jinping. She noted that this political will is creating “concrete and lasting gains” not only in tourism but also in economic and cultural cooperation.
Industry leaders believe that removing visa requirements will simplify trip planning and directly increase travel flows. “By facilitating travel planning, this regulation will directly and strongly increase tourism mobility between the two countries,” Eresin said.
The decision is also expected to shift the profile of Chinese visitors. TÜROB anticipates a rise in independent travellers and higher average spending, supporting Turkey’s goal of spreading tourism across all 12 months of the year rather than concentrating demand in peak seasons.
Improved air connectivity is expected to further strengthen the impact of the visa-free policy. Reciprocal flight frequencies between Turkish Airlines and Chinese carriers have increased, with weekly passenger flight rights rising from 21 to 49. Tourism officials believe the expanded seat capacity, combined with visa-free entry, will rapidly increase arrivals.
Beyond policy and transport, Turkey’s tourism sector is preparing on the ground. TÜROB says it is working closely with stakeholders to ensure Chinese guests feel safe and welcome, with efforts focused on language support, staff training, culturally appropriate service standards, and more diversified tourism products.
“We will continue to fulfil all our responsibilities to make Turkey a more attractive, accessible and sustainable destination for the Chinese market,” Eresin said, adding that stronger, trust-based tourism cooperation will deliver lasting benefits for both countries’ economies and people.
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