Turkey is preparing to break records in cruise tourism
The cruise sector, which ended last year with growth, is hopeful for 2024 as well. Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Izmir Branch of the Chamber of Shipping, Öztürk, said they expect a positive year for cruise tourism, stating, “We expect a record-breaking year not only in Izmir but throughout Turkey.”
According to the data from the Directorate General of Maritime Affairs, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, in 2023, the number of cruise ships calling at 10 ports in the Aegean Region increased by 13% compared to 2022, reaching 848. The number of passengers also increased by 47% to 1,030,742. In the same period, a total of 1,192 cruise ships with 1,542,522 passengers arrived in Turkey.
TOP OF THE LIST: KUSADASI
According to cruise and passenger statistics, the port with the busiest passenger-ship traffic in 2023 was Kuşadası. Kuşadası hosted 531 cruise ships and experienced a movement of 779,434 passengers. The other two ports in the Aegean with the highest number of ships and passengers were Bodrum and Çeşme. Bodrum hosted 97 cruise ships with 101,159 passengers, while Çeşme hosted 76 ships with 53,030 passengers. Fethiye, with only one cruise ship, had the fewest ships calling in the Aegean in 2023.
A POSITIVE YEAR FOR 2024
Having experienced record growth in 2023, the cruise sector is hopeful for 2024 as well. Yusuf Öztürk, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Izmir Branch of the Chamber of Shipping, said they expect a positive year for cruise tourism. Öztürk stated, “Turkey stands out as a highly preferred destination with its terminals, nature, gastronomy, history, and tourism understanding. As a reflection of this, we expect a record-breaking season in 2024 not only in Izmir but throughout Turkey in cruise tourism. This season, 71 ships are expected in Izmir, 74 in Çeşme, and 560 in Kuşadası. The cruise season in Izmir will begin in April. New destinations need to be created in Bergama, Sart, and Urla axes to increase the satisfaction of incoming passengers.”
