Turkey should open casinos to boost international tourism, particularly the rich Chinese kind, according to local travel agents.

On Tuesday, Timur Bayındır, president of the Turkish Travel Agencies Union, told reporters that opening foreigner-only casinos would help boost levels of inbound Chinese tourists, who currently account for less than 1m visits to Turkey per year.

Turkish media outlet Hurriyet quoted Bayındır saying Chinese tourists “love gambling and they spend a lot of money … If we do not open casinos, we will not be able to attract more Chinese tourists.” Bayındır claimed Chinese tourists were instead flocking to “Bulgaria, Georgia and Romania because they have casinos.”

As for where these Turkish casinos might go, Bayındır suggested the “idle” island of Yassıada in the Mamara Sea, the inland body of water that links the Black Sea to the Aegean, could accommodate a “large casino” that would only accept foreign passport holders.