Foreigners ride in Cappadocia, Turks watch
A 1-hour hot air balloon tour in the Cappadocia region, one of the most important tourist centers in Turkey, starts from 100 euros.
Hot air balloon operator Halis Aydoğdu said: “Prices can go up to 200 euros depending on different types of flights and basket flights. The baskets of 20, 24 and 28 people are made in flights of 1 hour or 75 minutes. Domestic tourists who came to visit the region said that the prices of the balloons were too high, so they could not travel.
FROM 100 EUR FOR 1 HOUR
There are dozens of hot air balloons belonging to 27 companies in the tourist hub of Cappadocia. National and foreign tourists take their places to get on hot air balloons with the first light of the morning.
After pilot checks, dozens of balloons take off together with tourists from the take-off areas between the city of Göreme and the village of Çavuşin in Avanos district, one after another, into the sky. A 1-hour hot air balloon tour in the Cappadocia region starts from 100 euros.
Hot air balloon operator Halis Aydoğdu said: “Balloon prices in the region start at 100 euros. The prices vary up to 200 Euros depending on the different types of flight and the flights in the baskets. The baskets of 20, 24 and 28 people are made in flights of 1 hour or 75 minutes.
Aydoğdu gave the following information about the number of tourists in recent periods:
“As a reflection of the fluctuations in the exchange rate, there was an interaction between national tourists. However, since alternatives are offered, local tourists in the Cappadocia region show great interest in ballooning. This year, most of our guests come from Korea, the Far East. Compared to last year, we are experiencing a decrease in tourists from Latin America.
Korean tourists currently account for the largest number of people flying group tours in the region. We believe that with the start of Chinese tourism towards the end of the year, Chinese tourists will also show interest.”
MORE THAN 100 FLIGHTS EVERY DAY
Saying that more than 100 hot air balloons fly every day in the Cappadocia region, Aydoğdu said, “Our flights in the Cappadocia region are usually in the Goreme basin. At this point, our guests can observe the areas of Kızılçukur Valley, Aşk Valley, Göreme, Çavuşin and Ürgüp from the air in a very comfortable way. The biggest difference of Cappadocia compared to other flights in the world is that it is not only a high-altitude flight, but also offers a visual feast between the valley and the rocks.
Mentioning security measures on flights, Aydoğdu said, “Turkish civil aviation takes all security measures. Consequently, inspections are carried out on all our pilots, ground personnel and 27 companies that actively operate in our region.
‘foreigners ride, Turks watch’
Büşra Anamoğlu, who came to Göreme from Sivas with his friends for the Eid al-Adha holiday, said: “We came to see the balloons in the morning with my group of 5 friends. But balloon prices bother us. All we can do is observe. We woke up in the morning and we arrived,” she said.
Expressing that they expect company officials to set a special price against the Turks, Anamoğlu said: “Cappadocia is actually positioned to attract foreign tourists. Turkish tourists are also here. Companies should also discount at this point. We wanted to get on the balloon, which is the most important symbol of Cappadocia, but usually foreigners ride it and Turks look at it,” he said.
Melis Genç, who came to Cappadocia from Istanbul, said, “We are going for a short trip with my friends. The prices are too high. We couldn’t get on the balloon. There is a lot of price difference. One of the companies says 100 euros, another says 200 euros, another says 300 euros. This is how we look from afar and take photos.” (DHA)