ISTANBUL, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's hot air balloons attract tens of thousands of visitors each year, and they will be fueled with cleaner and cheaper energy thanks to a new burning system, which means a lot to the country's vital tourism industry.

Huseyin Dinc is the founder of the Istanbul-based Turkia Aviation Corporation. The company has recently presented a breakthrough burning unit for hot air balloons and obtained a 20-year patent from Turkish authorities.

Dinc told Xinhua that most hot air balloons in the world operate on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), while theirs are on liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is "reliable, environmentally friendly, beneficial to carbon emissions, and provides flight safety compared to LPG."

Dinc said the company intended to commercialize its product and conduct test flight in early 2020. As COVID-19 broke out in Turkey last year, their target now is May 2022.

When this new system gets operational, it will be 40 percent cheaper than the current LPG system, which may lead to a revenue growth for balloon operating companies, he added.

Central Turkey's Cappadocia region is one of the hotspots for hot air balloon trips in the country. Nearly 130,000 people were lifted off in 2020 to marvel over the UNESCO World Heritage Site that comprises famous and unique volcanic cones, valleys, as well as underground cities, houses and hotels carved into rocks.

Halis Aydogan, a balloon pilot and company manager in Cappadocia, said that tourism accounts for most of the region's revenues.

"Despite the pandemic, we have still welcomed many foreign visitors from all over the world," the veteran pilot told Xinhua, noting that hot air balloon tourism has grown from niche to mainstream in the last two decades.

Aydogan also expressed hope that tourists from China, known for their enthusiasm for balloons, will return to Turkey and Cappadocia when travel restrictions are lifted, as the country speeds up its mass vaccination campaign.

Sector representatives expect the novel LNG burning unit to contribute significantly to the Turkish tourism sector and closely follow its development.

Additionally, it may be utilized for scientific purposes in meteorological and research balloons, Dinc added.

Heavily dependent on tourism, Turkey is currently under lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus infections that hover around 25,000 a day. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)