Thursday, March 6, 2025 Turkey’s cruise tourism is set for a record-breaking 2025 with 225 ships, 585,000 passengers, and a $3 billion boost, driving massive growth and expansion. Turkey is on track to experience a major surge in cruise tourism in 2025, with a sharp increase in both ship arrivals and passenger traffic. Industry experts predict that this boom will further solidify the country’s position as a premier cruise destination in the Mediterranean.
According to the latest data from the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry , Turkey welcomed 1.9 million cruise passengers in 2024 , a historic high and a 26% increase from the 1.5 million recorded in 2023 .
This thriving sector contributed around $3 billion to the national economy last year, as per statistics from the Turkish Statistical Institute . Cruise Ship Arrivals and Passenger Growth on the Rise The Turkish Association of Travel Agencies projects a 20% rise in cruise ship arrivals across the country’s ports in 2025, alongside a 30% surge in passenger numbers . This growth is primarily driven by the deployment of larger, state-of-the-art vessels and an increasing demand for cruise travel in the region.
Among Turkey’s top cruise destinations, Kuşadası remains the dominant hub, attracting more than half of the country’s total cruise traffic. The bustling resort town on the Aegean coast is expected to welcome over 800,000 cruise passengers in 2025 , a significant jump from 700,000 visitors last year . Anoth.