‘Golden Triangle’ may become new attraction for Chinese tourists

ISTANBUL

Three Turkish provinces, also known as the “Golden Triangle” of Upper Mesopotamia, may become the new favorite destination of Chinese tourists, according to hoteliers and tour operators.

The southeastern provinces of Diyarbakır, Şanlıurfa and Mardin are home to well-known historical and ancient sites, including the famous Göbeklitepe.

Some 300,000 more Chinese tourists are expected to visit Türkiye by the end of the year after Beijing scrapped COVID-related travel restrictions, people from the tourism industry told business daily Ekonomi. They noted that Chinese tourists are more interested in archeological sites and cultural tours.

More than 114,000 Chinese vacationers visited Türkiye in January-July, marking a 159 percent increase from a year earlier.

A delegation from China will arrive soon in Şanlıurfa, said Sezin İlhan Çalışkan, general manager of Urhay Turizm, adding that Turkish Airlines has lent its support to this initiative.

Cooperation between public and private sectors has ramped up to promote the region in the Chinese market, according to Çalışkan.

“We are working on organizing tours which cover the Golden Triangle for Chinese tourists. We are expecting many Chinese holidaymakers to visit Şanlıurfa starting from September and November.”

Direct flights to Şanlıufra should start to lure Chinese visitors, said Mehmet Alataş from the Turkish Hotel Managers Association (TUROYD), adding the number of flights between Ankara and the province also needs to be increased.

Chinese tourists’ favorite destination is Cappadocia in Türkiye, but Upper Mesopotamia has the potential to lure those visitors due to its proximity to Cappadocia and its archeologic sites, according to Alataş.