ISTANBUL, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Turkey has added nine new destinations for hot-air balloon flights across the country amid growing interest of tourists.
Previously, the Cappadocia region in the central province of Nevsehir was Turkey's single destination for balloon rides, attracting over 500,000 riders every year.
In Cappadocia, 239 hot-air balloons belonging to 25 companies take off at least 260 days a year in an area filled with cone-shaped rock formations.
"Allowing new destinations for hot-air balloon flights is an important decision for the enrichment of the touristic products variety in the country," Firuz Baglikaya, chairman of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies, told Xinhua.
He singled out Pamukkale, or Cotton Castle, a main tourist attraction in Turkey known for its white travertine made up of natural calcified waterfalls and a series of terraced basins.
The site draws nearly 2 million tourists annually.
"The new destinations are expected to contribute positively to the development of the selected locations which include Turkey's and the world's well-known cultural and natural beauties," said Baglikaya.
Turkey hosted 27 million foreign visitors from January to August this year, up 22.9 percent year-on-year, according to figures released by Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Friday.
In Baglikaya's view, the new destinations will boost the number of foreign arrivals further, as tourists have a growing interest in balloon rides.
Turkey's tourism industry is rebounding after suffering from a spate of terror attacks and chilling relations with Germany, Russia and others in the past years.
