Ski resorts witness tourist influx before season ends

BURSA - ERZURUM

With the arrival of spring, ski resorts are overflowing in the last days of the winter tourism season, with visitors who want to take advantage of the last skiing opportunity of the year.

The ski season continues in Uludağ, one of Türkiye's ski tourism hotspots. At the summit, where the snow thickness reaches 40 centimeters, the air temperature is at minus 4 degrees Celsius.

While the ski season is expected to continue until the end of March, vacationers are enjoying the last skiing of the year.

Yahya Usta, the chairman of the Turkish Ski and Snowboard Teachers' Association, said tourists should take advantage of the last skiing opportunity of the year, adding that they had a “successful season in February” due to the snowfall and the intensity of bookings.

Usta noted that the tourist density in Uludağ continues and that the current snow can last until the end of March.

"I visit Uludağ every weekend. We have already entered the last week, there are about ten days left until the end of the season. Those who can't come have to wait for the next season," Doğukan Boztepe, who came to Uludağ for vacation, said.

Meanwhile, Palandöken, which is still open for skiing and activities even though it is March, is also an important ski resort with the longest and steepest ski slopes in the world.

Palandöken Ski Center, which opened the season earlier than other ski centers this year and was visited by approximately 300,000 people, continues to be the center of attention of visitors with the activities it offers.

In Palandöken, ski and snowboard competitions are organized in various categories and snow festivals are also held. The ski resort has ten tourist resorts and there are many ski houses, daily facilities and restaurants in the region.

While the accommodation capacity of the ski center is approximately 5,530 people, these facilities offer visitors a comfortable and enjoyable winter sports experience.

Advanced avalanche prevention systems are being used to reduce the avalanche risk in Palandöken. These systems take preventive measures to ensure the safety of visitors.

The slopes in Palandöken have been illuminated for 9.2 kilometers for those who want to ski at night. This provides an opportunity for visitors to ski at any time of the day.

Ali Güney, a tourism coordinator of a hotel in the center, said that the magnificent views of Palandöken can be seen while paragliding and tourists can fly over the mountains with a high-speed zipline tour.