The Experience of Balloon Tourism in Cappadocia and The Acceptable Risk Situation

Abstract

Balloon tourism experience provides participants with an opportunity to view an exotic area over the air with a wider and a beautiful angle in an interesting and exciting way and it is one of the experiences in adventure tourism, which includes a certain level of risk and controlled danger. Including the hot air balloon tourism, all types of adventure tourism, due to the nature of their activities, include accident risks resulting in various degrees of injury and death, which is one of the most important topics of these types of tourism. Although riding with a balloon is regarded as a low-risk activity in the world, with the effects of accidents experienced, it could be seen rather risky for someone who would try this activity. In this study, it was aimed to reveal the states of the balloon as a result of safety precautions developed against accident risk in balloon experience in Cappadocia and to present the acceptable levels of situations that have accident risks. In this sense, the perceptions of managers of the balloon companies in Cappadocia, balloon pilots and the authorities of Directorate General of Civil Aviation, which is in a supervisory position about the results of balloon accidents experienced and their approaches towards precautions taken following these accidents and precautions that should be taken were revealed in a critical aspect.