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Cappadocia, long known as the “Land of Beautiful Horses,” has stepped into 2026 by linking its ancient equestrian heritage to China’s Year of the Horse, with a week-long series of events that ran from Feb. 14 to Feb. 20 and are expected to lift Chinese visitor numbers in the months ahead.
The region, whose name derives from the ancient Persian “Katpatukya,” meaning “Land of Beautiful Horses,” has bred horses for centuries. Today, those traditions still play out across vast valleys where guided treks wind through rock formations and cave stables, keeping alive a culture shaped by the animals’ presence.
Events organized by the Cappadocia Area Management Office kicked off in Goreme with the Turkish and Chinese national anthems, setting the tone for a program that blended cultural symbolism with tourism strategy.
Deputy Culture and Tourism Minister Gokhan Yazgi said Türkiye hosted around 64 million visitors last year, generating $65.2 billion in tourism revenue.
Under a strategy aimed at spreading tourism across all 81 provinces and throughout the year, he stressed that the country is working to lock in sustainable and balanced growth. The medium-term target for 2026 stands at $68 billion in revenue.
Yazgi described China as one of the most strategic markets for Türkiye, pointing to its high visitor potential and growing spending power.
More than 425,000 Chinese visitors were welcomed in 2024, and the midterm goal is to reach 1 million.
He framed visa-free travel for Chinese citizens not just as a convenience but as a continuation of historic ties rooted in the Silk Road. To back this up, weekly flight capacity has been raised from 21 to 49, with new direct routes rolled out.
In the Chinese zodiac, 2026 is marked as the Year of the Horse. In this context, Cappadocia’s historic nickname has taken on renewed significance.
Yazgi noted that horse shows, themed festivals, cultural and artistic programs, and tailor-made tours for the Chinese market are set to be staged throughout the year. He also said search engine data currently shows Cappadocia ranking as the most searched and planned destination in Türkiye among Chinese users, adding that preparations are already underway for China’s extended May holiday.
Chinese Ambassador to Ankara Jiang Xuebin said that under the strategic leadership of President Xi Jinping and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, bilateral ties have continued to develop, with cooperation in education, culture and the economy feeding into both countries’ growth potential.
He recalled that the Spring Festival, China’s traditional New Year, was inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2024, underscoring what he described as the vitality of Chinese civilization.
The timing of the Chinese New Year holiday period with Valentine’s Day over the same weekend gave February reservations an extra push. Tourism representatives said the overlap created a relative spike in demand for balloon rides, boutique hotels and romantic-themed stays.
Mehmet Dinler, a tourism operator in the region, said the Chinese New Year period consistently opens up opportunities for Türkiye and Cappadocia. He noted that while figures have yet to catch up with pre-pandemic levels seen in 2018 and 2019, the current demand points to a gradual return.
Local authorities also highlighted a steady rise in Chinese arrivals. Nevsehir Governor Ali Fidan said the number of Chinese visitors climbed from 26,000 in 2023 to 89,000 in 2024 and reached 115,000 last year, adding that such events help bring mutual cultural respect to the fore.
Chinese visitors interviewed during the events said social media exposure played a key role in shaping their travel plans. One tourist said she had long wanted to see Cappadocia’s hot air balloons and historic landscape, adding that she felt happy to finally experience it in person. Another visitor, traveling with his fiancee, described the scenery as unique and said they chose the setting for their wedding-album photos.
As part of the Year of the Horse program, bilingual posters in Turkish and Chinese were put up across tourist sites, while Chinese-language promotional materials were rolled out on digital platforms.
The week’s program also featured a performance by Chinese artist Ma Tianyi, a gastronomy street showcasing local flavors, hot air balloons designed around the theme, a 3D mapping show, and a drone display that lit up the sky with symbolic figures.
Sector representatives expect the February momentum to feed into a longer-term increase in Chinese arrivals, as Cappadocia builds on its historic identity as the “Land of Beautiful Horses” and aligns it with a modern tourism drive targeting one of the world’s largest outbound markets.
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