China blames terrorism after Ankara attack

An ambulance arrives to the site of an explosion in Ankara, Turkey February 17, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

According to official information released by its tourism authority, the number of international tourists heading to Turkey dropped by 1.61 percent in 2015 when compared with the previous year. This was the first decline in a quarter of a century.

Feng Rao, head of the tourism research center at Mafengwo, a tourism information-sharing website, said the explosion didn't happen at Turkish tourism attractions which Chinese tourists are interested in.

“Besides, the golden time for travelling in Turkey starts April. February is the offseason of tourism in Turkey,” said Feng. “However, it will dampen the enthusiasm of Chinese tourists to visit Turkey”.

About 200,000 Chinese tourists visited Turkey in 2014, and the figure rose to 310,000 last year, according to Chinese Ambassador to Turkey Yu Hongyang.

The Chinese Embassy in Turkey issued a security notice to Chinese nationals one day after the Jan 12 terror attack against foreign travelers in Istanbul, which claimed 10 lives and 15 injuries.

Xinhua, AFP and AP contributed to this story.