Saturday, May 25, 2024 Türkiye is making waves in the cruise tourism industry. According to industry leaders it is bolstered by over 1.5 million cruise ship passengers in 2023.
Passenger arrivals surged nearly 50 percent year-on-year, exceeding expectations set by officials, data from the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry revealed. “Diversification is one of our biggest priorities,” said Davut Gunaydin, vice president of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies, in an interview with a news channel. “Cruise tourism is an important part of our efforts,” the industry insider added.
Türkiye boasts several well-quipped ports for cruises, including Galataport in Istanbul and Kusadasi on the Aegean coast. Galataport, inaugurated in 2021, has boosted cruise activity across the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, Gunaydin said. Noting that Türkiye trails Mediterranean neighbors like Italy in cruise market share, Gunaydin believed strategic investments could secure a larger slice of the pie.
The country’s unique position at the crossroads of four seas – the Mediterranean, Aegean Sea, Marmara Sea, and Black Sea – offers unparalleled potential for cruise itineraries. Gunaydin is confident of Türkiye reaching its target of 2 million cruise passengers set for 2024 while saying that investments in modern terminals, aiming to increase per-passenger spending, would further bolster the national economy. “Figures so far indicate that this year’s target will be reach.
