China's Golden Week brings a surge of tourists to Cappadocia

Taking advantage of the official holiday known as "Golden Week," held from October 1 to 7 to mark the anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Chinese tourists as well as visitors from different countries in East Asia who came to Nevşehir are exploring Cappadocia, known for its fairy chimneys and natural rock formations.

While some tourists view the region's natural beauty and historical and cultural heritage from the sky on hot-air balloon flights, those who do not take part in the flights take photographs of the scenery created by the balloons from viewpoints and valleys and participate in ATV and horseback riding tours.

The activity among East Asian tourists at hotels, museums and underground cities in the region, which begins before sunrise, continues throughout the day.

Tourists admire the region's scenery
Indonesian tourist Eda Dewi, who took part in a balloon tour, told Anadolu Agency that she had the opportunity to visit Cappadocia for the first time and that she liked it very much.

"Cappadocia is a wonderful tourism destination. The scenery created by the balloons has a beauty of its own," she said.

Singaporean tourist Chloe Lim said she was making beautiful memories in the region, which she visited with her friends, and that she was experiencing happiness and excitement from taking part in a balloon tour.

Chinese tourist Fang Mei Son said she had been interested in and curious about Cappadocia for many years.

Hot-air balloon pilot Tolga Eke said East Asian tourists had increased tourism activity in the region in recent weeks, adding:
"Our East Asian guests have always been interested in Cappadocia. However, the number of visitors is increasing day by day. They prefer these tours because watching the fairy chimneys from the sky is fascinating."

"Hotel occupancy rates were also reflected in balloon tours"
Mehmet Dinler, owner of a group of companies providing accommodation and hot-air balloon tour services in the region, said balloon tours had become one of the signature products of Turkish tourism.
Noting that occupancy rates at accommodation facilities and bookings for balloon tours were close to 100%, Dinler said:

"We are very lucky to live in a region where tourism can be enjoyed 12 months a year. October is one of Cappadocia's golden months. Especially during this peak period, in addition to the existing market, we also received high demand from China due to the 'Golden Week' celebrated in China from October 1 to 7. Our hotels reached occupancy rates close to 100% during the first week of October. The occupancy rates at the hotels were also reflected in balloon tours.

"In Cappadocia, a guest who takes a balloon tour one day rushes to the sunrise viewpoints the next day to watch this fairytale-like scenery. We would not be wrong to say that there is a festival atmosphere in Cappadocia every morning.

"Japan, South Korea, China, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong are very important markets for us and are the leading markets for the region. We expect greater support from these markets, especially during the winter months. We think that the Chinese market's increasing momentum will continue during the winter season as the frequency of flights between China and Türkiye increases."