Türkiye’s cruise tourism hits 12-year peak

Türkiye’s has so far welcomed nearly 1.5 million passengers this year through the end of August.

This is the highest arriving number in the last 12 years.

The number of cruise calls rose by 17% this year, reaching 878, compared to 753 in 2024.

The overall number of passengers increased by 18% compared to 2024 and by more than a half on 2023.

In August alone, a record 357,646 passengers were welcomed, which is the highest ever for the month.

Türkiye is projected to surpass the 600,000-passenger target by the end of the season, achieving a 130% increase compared to last year, following the peak reached in the first eight months.

With the inclusion of Çanakkale, Sinop, Trabzon, Samsun, and Marmaris alongside established cruise hubs such as Kuşadası and İstanbul, cruise itineraries are expanding.