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Türkiye has recorded a significant rise in cruise tourism, with more than 2 million passengers arriving at its ports in the first ten months of the year, according to the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure. The figure, tracked between January and October, surpassed the country’s previously set target for the year 2025, signaling the strong momentum of maritime tourism.
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said that 1,278 cruise ships docked at Türkiye’s ports during the period, representing an increase of nearly 15% year-on-year. Passenger numbers also climbed by a similar rate, reaching 2.02 million visitors.
The minister highlighted that the projection of 2 million cruise passengers had originally been set for 2025. However, the target was exceeded within just the first 10 months of the current year, reflecting the rapid recovery and expansion of cruise tourism and growing interest in Mediterranean and Aegean maritime routes.
He noted that October alone saw 203 cruise ship arrivals, an increase of over 4% compared to the same month last year. Passenger arrivals in October also rose to 310,872.
Kusadasi, a major cruise port near the ancient city of Ephesus, remained the top entry point for cruise travelers. In October, the port welcomed 89 cruise ships carrying 138,801 passengers. Istanbul’s ports followed with 35 cruise ships and 89,144 travelers in the same month, while Bodrum recorded 17 cruise arrivals with 17,692 passengers.
Other ports across the country collectively handled 62 additional cruise ships with 65,235 passengers in October.
Throughout the January–October period, Kusadasi topped the national rankings in both ship traffic and passenger volume. The port received 582 cruise ships and hosted 964,448 passengers. Istanbul’s ports followed with 242 cruise ship arrivals and 584,330 passengers, while Bodrum recorded 113 cruise ships with 135,677 passengers.
Uraloglu underlined that the ongoing expansion of cruise routes and port infrastructure continues to strengthen Türkiye’s position as a key maritime tourism destination in the Mediterranean.
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