Fairy chimneys break tourist record in 2012
NEVŞEHİR - Anatolia News Agency
Hot-air balloons serve hundreds of thousands of people annually in the area as one of the most important attractions in the Cappadocia region.
Turkey’s Cappadocia region, which is famous for its fairy chimneys, rock caves and hot-air balloons, broke its touristrecord last year with 2,572,816 domestic and foreign tourists. According to a written statement by the Nevşehir Governor’s Office, the Central Anatolian region had received 2,511,955 tourists the previous year.
Among the most visited places in the region in 2012 were Göreme Open-Air Museum, Kaymaklı Underground City and Derinkuyu Underground City.
In Cappadocia, 140 hot-air balloons owned by 17 companies serve between 450,000 and 500,000 people annually. Nearly 1,300 people work in the region’s hot-air balloon industry.