Turkey is racing towards a record in hot air balloon tourism.

The Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, stated that in the hot air balloon tourism conducted in 7 regions of Turkey, especially in Cappadocia, 32,445 hot air balloons took off in the 9-month period from January to September, and 700,000 passengers experienced these flights. Minister Uraloğlu also noted that it is expected that the record of 750,000 passengers set in 2022 will be surpassed by the end of the year.

"ALL-TIME RECORD WILL BE BROKEN"

Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced the 9-month passenger and flight statistics for the period from January to September for hot air balloon businesses operating in Turkey. Minister Uraloğlu stated, "Turkey is having a year of breaking records in hot air balloon tourism. As of September 2024, 32,445 balloons have taken off in 9 months, and a total of 700,000 domestic and foreign balloon passengers have flown. This number of passengers reached during a period when the season has not fully started shows us that the number of hot air balloon passengers in 2024 could surpass the all-time record of 750,000 passengers achieved in 2022."

70 BUSINESSES IN 7 REGIONS

Emphasizing that Turkey is the country conducting the largest commercial hot air balloon operation in the world in terms of both traffic volume and the number of flying days, Minister Uraloğlu stated that there are currently 70 licensed hot air balloon businesses, 6 approved training organizations, and 1 production organization in Turkey. He noted that hot air balloon activities are carried out in 7 regions: Cappadocia, Pamukkale, Soğanlı, Çat, Ihlara, Afyonkarahisar, and Antalya, and added, "These businesses serve with 439 hot air balloons and 712 balloon pilots in their fleets."

MAJORITY OF BALLOON FLIGHTS IN CAPPADOCIA

Highlighting that more than 80% of the balloon flights conducted take place in the Cappadocia region, Minister Uraloğlu stated, "Cappadocia maintains its top position with its climate and wind structure, allowing flights for an average of up to 250 days a year. The number of flights conducted in just one day in Cappadocia can only be reached in other flight-capable regions during festivals."