Turkey's hot‑air balloon tourism carries 308,000 passengers in first half of 2026

Turkey's hot‑air balloon sector recorded 13,000 flights in the first six months of 2026, transporting 308,000 domestic and foreign tourists. The industry operates under 71 licensed operators, with a fleet of about 530 balloons, and more than 80% of flights occur over the Cappadocia region. Across the country, 40,000 balloon flights have been conducted in locations such as Pamukkale, Şanlıurfa‑Göbekli Tepe, Afyonkarahisar and Antalya, serving a total of 915,000 passengers since 2011.

Since 2011, roughly 350,000 balloon flights have taken off in Turkey, carrying about 6.9 million passengers—exceeding the population of the capital, Ankara. In addition to tourism growth, Turkish manufacturers exported 53 hot‑air balloons to 11 countries, with Egypt being the largest buyer (27 balloons). Other recipients include Rwanda, Ghana, Azerbaijan, Qatar, Oman, Tanzania, South Korea, Japan, Mexico and Jordan.