Türkiye’s skies were more crowded than ever in 2024, as hot air balloon tourism soared to a historic high with a record-breaking 933,195 tourists taking flight across seven scenic regions.
According to data compiled by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (SHGM), this marks a 25% increase compared to 2023, making it the highest number of hot air balloon passengers in the country’s history.
Flights were conducted in seven regions known for their natural beauty and cultural significance:
Cappadocia and Çat in Nevşehir,
Pamukkale in Denizli,
Soğanlı in Kayseri,
Aspendos in Antalya,
Ihlara Valley in Aksaray, and
The Phrygian Valley in Afyonkarahisar.
These iconic locations hosted a total of 43,283 balloon flights throughout the year, operated by 71 licensed companies using a fleet of 441 hot air balloons.
Leading the surge was Cappadocia, world-renowned for its dreamlike landscapes and breathtaking sunrise flights. The region continues to serve as the heart of Türkiye’s balloon tourism industry.
In comparison, 747,203 tourists took balloon rides in 2023, when the country had a fleet of 431 balloons—highlighting both growing demand and the sector’s rapid development.
Uzbekistan and the State of Eritrea signed a Joint Communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations through their respective UN Missions....
China said it is ready to "continuously" boost strategic coordination with Moscow. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Russian counterpart Sergey La...
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Malaysia, calling the talks 'positive and constructive' despite growing te...
Russia’s health watchdog said on Friday it is monitoring an anthrax outbreak in Kazakhstan’s Akmola region, where two villages were quarantined af...
EBRD stated that Ukraine urgently needs new generation capacity after Russian attacks severely damaged its power sector, creating a significant shortf...
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party will start laying down its weapons in a tightly guarded ceremony near Suleymaniyah in Iraq on Friday, launching what Ankara and Kurdish leaders call the first real step towards ending more than 40 years of conflict that has claimed more than 40,000 lives.
A court in Ankara has ordered regulators on Wednesday to block access to Grok, the artificial-intelligence chatbot built into Elon Musk’s X platform, after it allegedly generated insulting replies about President Recep Tayyip Erdogan — a criminal offence in Türkiye.
Türkiye’s foreign and defence ministers will travel to Pakistan on Wednesday to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for talks on bilateral relations and defence cooperation, a Turkish diplomatic source said.
Türkiye has strongly rejected a statement by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs criticising ongoing judicial proceedings in the country, calling it political interference.
Australian researchers have pioneered a low-cost and scalable plasma-based method to produce ammonia gas directly from air, offering a green alternative to the traditional fossil fuel-dependent Haber-Bosch process.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
Archaeologists have uncovered a 3,500-year-old city in northern Peru that likely served as a key trade hub connecting ancient coastal, Andean, and Amazonian cultures.
A deadly mass shooting early on Monday (7 July) in Philadelphia's Grays Ferry neighbourhood left three men dead and nine others wounded, including teenagers, as more than 100 shots were fired.
On July 4, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Khankendi, reaffirming the deep-rooted alliance between the two nations.
U.S. State Department has announced a new awareness campaign warning Americans, especially Iranian-Americans, about the continuing severe risks of travel to Iran.
The agreement between Russia and Oman to mutually waive visas will come into force on 18th July, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Archaeologists in Peru have uncovered the remains of a 3,500-year-old city in the country’s northern Barranca province, shedding new light on trade and settlement patterns in early South American civilisations.
Mehrabad and Imam Khomeini airports, along with regional airports in the north, east, west, and south of the country, have resumed operations in Iran and are fully prepared to provide flight services.
North Korea has opened the expansive Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area on its eastern coast, welcoming visitors from 1 July. According to state-run media, the move aims to revive tourism and boost much-needed foreign currency earnings amid international sanctions.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment