SHANGHAI - Turkey has been regularly participating at CITM since 2003, a year after it received its ADS. This year’s presence will focus on enticing high-end Chinese visitors to stay longer.

For its winter programme, Turkey will be work on packages to the southern coast of Turkey, where the climate is milder.

“During winter months, which also coincide with Chinese New Year, we are seeking to provide eight to 10-days long winter sports and golfing packages where tourists may enjoy different seasons at the same time. They will also be able to enjoy visiting historical sites under mild climate which will be at 20° C during the cold winter,” said Oguzan Yurteric, counselor of Turkish information and culture section.

“Golfing [in Turkey] also will be a new attraction to Chinese visitors. Anatolya with its warm climate in winter is one of the best choices for golfing in Europe. Turkey is aiming a total of 100 golf courses by 2020 which means five times more than the existing 20,” he added.

Arrivals from China had grown by an average of 27 percent from 2003 to 2005 with over 44, 100 visits. Yurteric said performance for the current year is better with a 33-percent increase growth posted for the first half.