A new cruise port is being planned for Fethiye costing one billion TL, with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process for the Fethiye Cruise Port Project being initiated by the General Directorate of Infrastructure Investments of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure. The project intends to make the district a major Mediterranean cruise destination and is planned for the seaward side of the Babataşı shoreline.
Project plans state that by 2030, the port will be able to accommodate 100 ships and 120,000 passengers; by 2043, that number is anticipated to rise to 230 ships and 250,000 passengers. The project owner has fully financed the 925 million 658 thousand TL total investment cost, with a 50-year economic lifespan anticipated.
A world-class cruise berth with a 355-meter-long, 50-meter-wide pier with double-sided docking and a 136-meter back-service space is part of the plan. Cruise ships up to 350 meters in length will be able to dock at the site.
In order to provide passengers with complete assistance both before and after boarding, the back-service zone will include fuel supply units, waste reception facilities, a control tower, a clean water reservoir, customs, shops, banking services, social spaces, administrative buildings, healthcare, restaurants, parking, security units, and taxi points.
The project has a different scope and implementation area than the cruise port concept that Fethiye Municipality developed in 2010, according to officials.
The port area is designated as an Important Natural Area on regional planning maps and is located inside a Special Environmental Protection Area (SEPA). A “Preliminary Permit Agreement” with the General Directorate of Nature Conservation will be signed as part of the approval procedure.
Around the pier, dredging is intended to reach a depth of -10 meters, extracting 1,055,000 m³ of material and reusing 280,680 m³ for infill. Licensed quarries with current EIA approvals will supply the materials. A Dredging Environmental Management Plan will be sent to the ministry if necessary.
It is anticipated that the construction of the port will take two years, with 65 workers in the first year and 155 in the second. 35 employees will work on-site throughout its operational phase, while hundreds more are anticipated to gain from indirect employment in the tourism, transportation, and service sectors.
Bodrum and Marmaris, two important cruise ports in the Mediterranean region, are already located in Muğla. While Marmaris Port is renowned for its homeport potential, Bodrum Cruise Port has emerged as one of the busiest regional hubs in 2023 and 2024.
It is anticipated that the construction of a cruise port in Fethiye will enhance the district’s tourism offerings, draw affluent tourists, and boost the local economy. The area has a lot of potential for cruise excursions because of its well-known attractions, which include Butterfly Valley, Ölüdeniz, Kayaköy, Amintas Rock Tombs, Babadağ cable car line, and the Lycian Way.
According to experts, the completion of the Fethiye Cruise Port might boost Muğla’s place on the global travel map by elevating its cruise tourist role into a three-centered structure.
Source: Fethiye Times
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