Early winter triggers busy tourism season at Palandöken

ERZURUM

The ski season at Palandöken Ski Resort kicked off ahead of schedule this year, thanks to an unusually early snowfall in late November which has sparked a surge in winter tourism and visitor reservations.

Situated just 20 kilometers from the airport and 4 kilometers from the eastern province of Erzurum's center, Palandöken is known for its exceptional technical infrastructure, five-star accommodations and international-standard slopes.

Palandöken owes its reputation to features like artificial snowmaking systems, high altitudes and an experienced operations team. This year, with the early onset of winter, skiing at the resort began in November, much earlier than its usual December start.

Activities such as snowboarding, sledding, ice climbing, ziplining, paragliding, tire rafting and the giant swing make it an exciting destination for adventure seekers. The resort boasts 87 kilometers of slopes spread across 55 pistes, with night skiing made possible by illuminated tracks.

The early season has invigorated local tourism businesses, which are seeing a rapid increase in reservations. Tourists taking advantage of early booking discounts have filled hotels and mountain bungalows that achieve high occupancy rates annually.

Nuh Şenol, northeast Anatolia regional president of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB), highlighted a recent surge in reservations to state-run Anadolu Agency.

“Palandöken is among the world’s premier ski resorts. The recent snowfall has left over 80 centimeters of snow at our facilities, sparking immense interest in winter tourism and accelerating reservations.”

Şenol also noted that efforts made during international fairs to attract tourists from countries such as Russia, Ukraine and Iran are beginning to yield results.

The resort set a record with almost 3 million visitors last season and is expected to host some 4 million visitors this year.