Türkiye cruise tourism hits 12-year high with nearly 1.5M visitors

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Türkiye’s cruise tourism sector has posted record-breaking numbers, drawing nearly 1.5 million passengers across 18 ports between January and August 2025. Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said this is the country’s strongest performance in 12 years, reflecting both the growing popularity of Turkish ports and expanded cruise itineraries.

The number of cruise ships docking in Türkiye rose 17% to 878 from 753 in 2024. Passenger volumes surged 56% compared with 2023 and 18% compared with last year. August alone marked a historic monthly high, welcoming 357,646 visitors.

Key hubs include Istanbul, Kuşadası, and Marmaris, but newer ports like Çanakkale, Sinop, Trabzon, and Samsun are also drawing international liners. Galataport Istanbul, with its modern terminal facilities, has emerged as a major gateway anchoring this growth.

Ersoy highlighted that more cruises are now using Türkiye as a home port rather than just a stopover. This means longer visitor stays, boosting tourism revenue and benefiting local economies in port cities. “Türkiye has become not just the Mediterranean’s but one of the world’s most attractive cruise destinations,” he said, thanking the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry for supporting the sector’s expansion.

The upswing aligns with Türkiye’s “Century of Türkiye” vision, aimed at positioning the country as a premier global tourism destination. Analysts note that the surge also reflects pent-up travel demand post-pandemic and Europe’s increasing appetite for Eastern Mediterranean routes.

If current momentum continues, Türkiye is on track to exceed pre-2013 cruise tourism peaks and reinforce its role as a central hub for regional and global cruise networks.