Cruise ship traffic at ports rises 18 percent in first half of 2025

ISTANBUL

Türkiye’s cruise tourism sector continues to gain momentum, with a notable increase in both cruise ship arrivals and passenger numbers during the first half of 2025.

According to Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, 490 cruise ships docked at Turkish ports between January and June, marking an 18.07 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

Passenger traffic also saw a significant rise. Uraloğlu stated that the number of cruise passengers arriving at Turkish ports during the same period reached 732,302, up 27.46 percent from 574,509 in the first half of 2024.

In June alone, 173 cruise ships visited Turkish ports, a 14.56 percent increase from 151 in June 2023. Passenger numbers for the month rose by 20.61 percent, reaching 293,766.

Highlighting the country’s growing appeal in the global cruise market, Uraloğlu noted, “Türkiye has become one of the key destinations in cruise tourism, thanks to its rich historical, cultural, and natural assets.”

“We anticipate that we will comfortably surpass 2 million cruise passengers this year,” he said.

The country is expected to surpass 2 million cruise passengers by the end of the year. Among the leading destinations, Kuşadası Port welcomed 227 cruise ships and 339,922 passengers, Istanbul hosted 96 ships and 220,720 passengers, Bodrum Port received 29 ships and 31,796 passengers and Çeşme Port saw 24 ships and 11,183 passengers.