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Türkiye welcomed a record 756,455 cruise passengers in the first six months of the year, marking the strongest first-half performance on record as the country's cruise sector continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Passenger numbers rose from 255,817 in the first half of 2022 to 482,925 in 2023 and 574,509 in 2024, before reaching a new high of 756,455 this year, surpassing the previous first-half record of 732,302.
A total of 488 cruise ships called at Turkish ports between January and June. Kusadasi led the country with 204 ship calls, followed by Istanbul with 93, while Bodrum, Cesme and Marmaris welcomed 36, 27 and 20 vessels, respectively.
Ports along Türkiye's Aegean coast handled 504,711 passengers during the first half, accounting for about 67% of all cruise arrivals. The region continues to attract international cruise lines thanks to its rich historical and cultural attractions, modern port infrastructure and strategic location on Mediterranean itineraries.
Kusadasi retained its position as Türkiye's busiest port despite passenger numbers easing slightly from 339,922 in the first half of last year to 334,172 this year.
Izmir welcomed 59,049 passengers, up from 50,909 a year earlier. Marmaris followed with 54,691 passengers, the strongest growth among the country's leading destinations after traffic surged from 15,510 a year ago.
Bodrum also posted gains, with passenger numbers rising from 31,796 to 41,545, while Cesme welcomed 15,254 passengers, up from 11,183.
The new record comes after Türkiye welcomed 2.1 million cruise passengers aboard 1,375 ships in 2025, its strongest annual performance in more than a decade and just shy of the all-time high of around 2.2 million passengers recorded in 2013.
Industry representatives attribute the growth to a combination of rising global demand for cruises, expanding capacity and Türkiye's increasingly important role on Eastern Mediterranean itineraries.
According to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the number of ocean-going cruise passengers worldwide reached a record 37.2 million in 2025, up from 34.6 million in 2024 and 31.1 million in 2023, making 2025 one of the industry's strongest years on record.
Global passenger numbers rose 7.5% year-over-year, while every quarter of 2025 set a new passenger benchmark.
The Mediterranean, where Türkiye is a major destination, also continued to expand. CLIA estimates the region welcomed nearly 6 million cruise passengers in 2025, up 3.4% from 5.77 million a year earlier, making it the world's second-largest cruise destination after the Caribbean.
In other words, around one in every six cruise passengers worldwide sailed in the Mediterranean last year.
Another key driver has been Istanbul's emergence as a homeport, where passengers begin and end their voyages rather than simply stopping for a few hours. Homeport passengers typically spend several days in the city before or after their cruise, making destinations more attractive for cruise operators.
Galataport Istanbul handled 595,000 passengers in 2025, up 48% from a year earlier, while the number of homeport passengers surged 137% to 230,000.
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