NEVŞEHİR (AA) – BEHÇET ALKAN – The number of accommodation facilities in Cappadocia, which is among the world’s important tourism destinations with its fairy chimneys, hot air balloons, historical and cultural riches, has exceeded 100 percent in the last 7 years. According to the data of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and information compiled from sector representatives, accommodation investments have also accelerated with the increase in tourism activity in Cappadocia, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
In the region where investments in rock-carved cave hotels and luxury accommodation concepts are concentrated, bed capacity has increased significantly with the commissioning of new facilities. With the diversification of balloon tourism, gastronomy, cultural routes, trekking trails and alternative activities for the winter period, Cappadocia has turned into a tourism center that welcomes visitors in four seasons of the year.
While there were 11 thousand rooms and 24 thousand 208 bed capacity in 343 accommodation facilities in Cappadocia in 2019, as of the first quarter of 2026, the number of facilities increased to 764, the number of rooms increased to 15 thousand 238 and the bed capacity increased to 31 thousand 150. Thus, the number of facilities increased by more than 100 percent in 7 years. In the region, where the growth in the tourism sector is not limited to classical hotel investments, alternative accommodation models have also begun to become widespread.
The capacity of 450 rooms and 1484 beds in 117 rental houses for tourism purposes, which were put into service as of last year, created additional capacity for accommodation. – “The increase in accommodation facilities in the data is due to boutique hotels.” Cappadocia Hoteliers and Touristic Operators Association Board Member İsmail Sucu told the AA correspondent that the increasing number of facilities in the region also contributes to the regional economy in terms of employment and service sector.
Stating that state contributions such as the support of the Agriculture and Rural Development Support Institution helped increase the number of facilities in the region, Sucu stated that the growth of tourism also provides the basis for the growth of infrastructure facilities such as transportation. Sucu stated that the tourists coming to the region are satisfied with the services offered and said: “Since the Cappadocia region is a cultural tourism area, our visitors to the region are in demand for boutique hotels.
Our cave hotels, which are unique in the world and unique to the region, and our hotels made of natural stone of the region, attract attention. The increase in accommodation facilities in the data is due to boutique hotels. The capacity at Cappadocia Airport has been increased significantly. Expansion work was also carried out at the nearby Kayseri Airport. The number of flights and other alternative transportation conditions also began to increase.
I believe that with these values, the increase in the number of hotels and activities in the region will significantly increase the number of tourists coming to the region.” – It has become a brand in world tourism. Mehmet Dinler, the owner of the group of companies operating in the field of hotel management in the region, said that with the investments, Cappadocia has become a brand in world tourism as well as in Turkish tourism.
Dinler stated that the region has become known on the same level as Istanbul, Antalya and Bodrum, which are among Turkey’s popular tourism centers. Describing tourism as a “smokeless industry” and emphasizing that the accommodation facilities in Cappadocia have an institutionalized structure that provides quality service, Dinler said: “The increase in brand awareness has positively affected the demand. In terms of demand, accommodation facility investments also had a share in tourism investments in our region.
We can summarize this as the reflection of increasing demand on investment. When coming to Turkey, our foreign guests sometimes include several countries in this travel package or come to Turkey directly. Unfortunately, for years, the average overnight stay in Cappadocia has been 2 nights, but I hope we will increase this to 3 nights with increasing qualified investments. I can easily say that the guest satisfaction average of the facilities in our region, subject to different classifications and suitable for different budgets, has a higher score compared to popular tourism destinations both in Turkey and Europe.”
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