Turkey's Erciyes ski resort attracts tourists

By Sercan Kucuksahin and Ahmet Sait Akcay

KAYSERI, Turkey (AA) - Ski resorts across Turkey attract thousands of tourists as the snowfall has been seen ranging from 7 to 62 centimeters (3 to 24 inches).

The Erciyes ski resort in the central province of Kayseri is one of them. It is expected to host over two million tourists this year.

“The resort hosted two million local and foreign tourists last year. This season over 400,000 visitors have already visited here to date,” Murat Cahit Cingi, the chairman of Kayseri Erciyes Corporation, an entity established by the Municipality of Kayseri for professional management of Erciyes ski center, told Anadolu Agency.

“We expect 2.5 million tourists to visit Erciyes this year,” he added.

The popular ski resort, surrounded by snow-capped slopes, has become a more attractive place after being modernized by the city’s municipality recently.

The ski resort, which covered 25 square kilometer (15.5 square miles), provides skiers with cable cars, which cover the area of 21,300-metres and capable of carrying 25,500 people per hour.

The total area of the resort accounts for 102 kilometers (63.3 miles) with 34 different tracks.

Around 150 snow machines are also operating in 2,000 square kilometers (772 square miles) area, alongside an artificial pond with 235,000 cubic meters water.

Skiers have an opportunity to enjoy skiing from an altitude of 2,200 meters to 3,400 meters depending on levels of difficulties.