Hot air balloon flights in Cappadocia – one of the most popular tourism destinations in Turkey in January-July were made by 327,859 tourists.
Such data is the representation of the General Directorate of Civil Aviation of Turkey in the province of Nevsehir.
The number of tourists who made balloon flights in Cappadocia during this period increased by 137 percent compared to the same period last year.
In January-July, balloon flights were made for 127 days, when weather conditions allowed. In total, 15,735 flights were organized these days.
In January-July 2021, 138,225 tourists made flights in hot air balloons in Cappadocia.
Mehmet Dinler, President of the Anatolian Balloon Operators Association, told Anadolu Agency that the industry representatives are satisfied with the level of demand for flights.
Strong demand is expected to continue through the end of the year, he said.
Balloons are lifted into the air with the first rays of the sun from the Göreme National Park and the Chat Valley and the village of Cavusin and soar in the air for an average of 45 minutes.
Flights are made only after permissions received from meteorological stations.
Cappadocia has a unique natural landscape. Cappadocia is, first of all, the valley of Peribajalara (“Magic Fireplaces” or “Fairy Fireplaces”) and remnants in the form of stone pillars of bizarre shapes and outlines.
There were previously active volcanoes on the territory of Cappadocia, the largest of which – Hasan, Erciyes, Medendiz and Gulludag – once threw out ash and lava. Over time, the ash turned into tuff, and the lava into basalt, covering the soft tuff rock with a thin layer. Climate change in the region triggered the work of other natural forces: precipitation, wind and rivers carved their patterns from tuff.
During the tour, tourists get the opportunity to see the natural beauties of the region from a bird’s eye view: the Peribajalara valley and houses and monasteries carved into the rocks.
Balloon flights are performed on average 300 days a year. In recent years, these flights have become the main attraction for tourists to Cappadocia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
