The number of cruise passengers in Turkey rose by more than 79% annually in the first three months of this year, surpassing 61,000, according to figures released.
According to data obtained from the General Directorate of Maritime Affairs of the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry, the total number of cruise ship passengers, including arrivals, departures, and transit passengers, reached 61,113 in the first quarter of this year, representing a 79.15% increase over the same period the previous year.
According to the data, between January and March of this year, fifty ships have docked in the nation’s ports, as opposed to 42 during the same period the previous year. When considering cruise ships on a monthly basis, it was noted that during the same months this year, there were 18, 5, and 27 cruise ships docked at ports, compared to 12 in January of last year, two in February, and 28 in March.
A total of 1,380 passengers landed in Turkey using these ships in January and 627 in March of last year. This year, the number of passengers has increased to 2,951 overall with the arrival of 893 in the first month of the New Year, 16 a month later, and 2,042 in March.
On the other hand, 1,600 passengers left Turkey for other nations during the same time period the previous year. The most recent data indicates that in the first three months of 2024, this number increased to 3,308 as well. In addition, the number of passengers on transit cruises increased by 76.19% year over year to 54,854 in January–March from 31,132 in the previous year.
The most cruise ships and people were hosted by the port of Kuşadası in western Turkey during this era. In the first quarter of 2024, the port handled 35,885 passengers and 26 ships. Istanbul Galataport came next, handling about eight ships and 9,821 passengers at that time.
Samsun, a coastal city in the north, simultaneously welcomed four ships with 3,905 cruise guests. Following this port with three ships each were Çanakkale, Amasra, and Trabzon. A total of 2,957, 2,678, and 3,044 cruise passengers visited these areas.
Other cities on the list included the port in the well-known summer resort of Marmaris, the Mediterranean province of Antalya, and Izmir, the third-largest city. Infrastructure and Transportation According to Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, investments made over the years have led to Turkey’s current rise to prominence in the cruise tourist industry.
In his remarks, he brought up the fact that more than 1.5 million people entered the nation via cruise ships the previous year and stated, “We continue our efforts to increase this number by the end of 2024.”
“Investments undertaken in Turkey have led to a growth in cruise tourism in recent years. The benefits of the years-long investments made in cruise tourism are also beginning to be felt by us. By the end of the year, we hope to have record numbers of passengers. We anticipate more cruise ships and travellers visiting the ports of our nation, particularly during the summer months,” he continued.
Source: DailySabah
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