"We saw 2019 as a year of records, and we had expected more visitors in 2020. Unfortunately, the pandemic affected Cappadocia as well as the whole world. The year 2022 brought a smile to the face of tourism professionals," he said.
Cappadocia is one of the world's most unique regions, and has been home to many civilizations, he added.
The region, located in Central Anatolia's Nevşehir province, has been preserved as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1985.
Muzaffer Büyükbaş, who owns a local tourism agency, said that after the last two years of COVID-19 measures, recently there has been a leap in the number of people traveling and that Cappadocia is in great demand.
"We surpassed the golden year of 2019 (in tourist numbers), which we targeted after the pandemic. Reservations are very good at the moment. This busy period will continue until early November," he said.
