Tourism activity has picked up in Cappadocia in central Türkiye as visitors from East Asia flock to the region in autumn, taking part in a range of activities in the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Chinese tourists taking advantage of the Oct. 1-7 public holiday known as the "Golden Week,” marking the anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, as well as visitors from other East Asian countries, have been exploring Nevşehir’s Cappadocia, known for its fairy chimneys and striking natural rock formations.
Some tourists take in the region’s natural, historical and cultural attractions from above on hot air balloon rides, while those who do not join the flights take photos of the balloons from viewpoints and valleys and participate in ATV and horseback riding tours.
The influx of East Asian visitors begins before sunrise and continues throughout the day, with hotels, museums and underground cities across the region seeing increased activity.
Impressed by Cappadocia
Indonesian tourist Eda Dewi, who joined a hot air balloon tour, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that it was her first time visiting Cappadocia and that she was impressed by the region.
"Cappadocia is a wonderful tourism destination. The view created by the balloons is even more beautiful,” she said.
Singaporean tourist Chloe Lim said she was making beautiful memories with her friends during their trip and was excited and happy to take part in a balloon tour.
Chinese tourist Fang Mei Son said she had been interested in and curious about Cappadocia for many years and that she loved Türkiye.
Hot air balloon pilot Tolga Eke said East Asian tourists had boosted tourism activity in the region in recent weeks.
"Our East Asian guests have always been interested in Cappadocia. However, the number of visitors is increasing every day. They prefer these tours because watching the fairy chimneys from the sky is a fascinating experience,” he said.
Mehmet Dinler, owner of a group of companies providing accommodation and hot air balloon services in the region, said balloon tours had become one of the signature products of Turkish tourism.
Noting that hotels and balloon tours were experiencing occupancy rates close to 100%, Dinler said: "We are very lucky to live in a region where tourism is possible year-round. October is one of Cappadocia’s golden months. During this peak period, we also received high demand from China on top of the existing demand due to the Golden Week holiday celebrated in China from Oct. 1-7.
"Our hotels were nearly 100% full during the first week of October. The hotel occupancy rates were also reflected in balloon tours. In Cappadocia, a guest who takes a balloon tour one day often rushes to sunrise viewpoints the next day to watch this fairytale-like scenery. It would not be an exaggeration to say that there is a festival atmosphere in Cappadocia every morning.
"Markets such as Japan, South Korea, China, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong are very important to us and are among the region’s leading source markets. We expect greater support from these markets, particularly during the winter months. We believe the Chinese market’s growth momentum will continue during the winter season as flight frequencies between China and Türkiye increase.”
Dinler also said promotional activities carried out by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism around the world were making a significant contribution to tourism.