Visitors take a ferry at the Bosporus Strait in Istanbul, Türkiye, Dec. 22, 2022. (Xinhua/Shadati)

Turkish and Chinese officials on Thursday vowed to strengthen cooperation in the tourism sector.

"China is one of our priority markets, and we look forward to working together to develop our existing relationship further," Elif Balci Fisunoglu, vice general manager of the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency, told a tourism promotion meeting in the largest Turkish city of Istanbul.

Fisunoglu said the number of Chinese tourists to Türkiye surpassed 426,000 in 2019, adding that Türkiye aims to raise the yearly number of Chinese tourists visiting the country to 1 million in the upcoming years.

"At this point, our active promotion, advertising, and marketing activities in the Chinese market will continue to increase," Fisunoglu said.

Speaking at the meeting, Wei Xiaodong, China's Consul General in Istanbul, said that Türkiye, home to ancient civilizations, has been luring many tourists from all over the world, including China.

"We believe that more Chinese tourists will come to Türkiye in the near future," he said. "And they will experience the historical and cultural beauties of Türkiye and the hospitality of the Turkish people."

The Chinese envoy underscored the importance and huge potential of expanding the China-Türkiye cooperation in the tourism sector.

"From now on, we will continue to work together with other organizations to ensure that Chinese tourists can travel safely, smoothly, and enjoyably in Türkiye," he added.