Travel Turkey: Minister announces a new milestone in cruise tourism

Turkey has reached a new milestone in cruise tourism. The number of cruise passengers arriving at Turkish ports in August soared by 16.8 percent compared to the same month last year, reaching 357,646 travelers.

Cruise Tourism Peaks in August

Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu shared the August 2025 cruise data prepared by the Directorate General of Maritime Affairs. He emphasized that August marked the peak month of the year in cruise tourism.

The number of cruise ships calling at Turkish ports rose by 15.3 percent year-on-year to 203. Uraloğlu underlined that August recorded the highest number of calls this year, setting a new record in passenger arrivals as well.

Between January and August, Turkish ports welcomed 878 cruise ships, a 16.6 percent rise compared to the same period last year. Passenger numbers also showed strong growth, increasing by 18.4 percent to 1,416,398 during the first eight months of the year.

Kuşadası Port Leads the Way

In August, Kuşadası Port was the busiest hub, hosting 84 cruise ships and 162,316 passengers. Istanbul ports followed with 41 cruise ships carrying 109,453 passengers, while Bodrum Port welcomed 22 cruise ships with 27,575 passengers. Other Turkish ports received 56 ships with a total of 58,302 passengers.

From January to August, Kuşadası remained at the top with 400 cruise ships, making it the leading port in Turkey. Istanbul ports ranked second with 168 cruise calls, followed by Bodrum with 76 ships. Passenger numbers reflected the same trend: Kuşadası hosted 679,246 passengers, Istanbul 410,577, and Bodrum 95,122.

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