Tourism professionals are in contact with China to increase the number of flights from China to Turkey to achieve the targeted number of 1 million Chinese tourists.
According to a statement released by the Hotel Association of Turkey (TÜROB), projects are underway to increase the number of flights from China to Turkey, the biggest obstacle to reaching 1 million Chinese tourists.
Tourism professionals are closely watching Chinese companies, because while Turkish Airlines (THY) has 34 weekly flights from this country, the lack of Chinese airline flights to Turkey, prevents the development of the Chinese tourism market.
Conducting serious projects to increase the number of tourists from China, TÜROB is keeping a tight grip on this market. With TÜROB's initiative, a delegation was formed with senior officials from the Istanbul Governor's Office, Turkish Airlines and the Tourism Investors Association of Turkey (TTYD). In China, the delegation will hold talks to increase the number of flights to Turkey.
China Southern and Hainan Airlines, two of the largest companies in the country, are among the airline companies that the delegation will meet. The delegation will also contact senior executives at Xian-Xianyang Airport and various companies.
TÜROB Chairman Timur Bayındır said that the talks will be result-oriented and that Chinese companies are likely to increase the number of flights to Turkey.
Underlining that it is not right to have major expectations from this market before Chinese airlines increase the number of flights, Bayındır said Chinese companies' launching flights to Turkey will create a positive perception towards Turkey.
In an earlier statement, Bayındır pointed to aircraft problems related to the Chinese tourism market.
"If all of China wants to come to Turkey, only 300,000 people can come in a year with the current flight capacity," Bayındır continued. "The number of flights from China to Turkey must increase. The targeted figure of 1 million Chinese tourists is achievable as long as transportation access is provided."