Cruise passenger traffic in Türkiye exceeded the 61,000 mark in the first three months of the year as it leaped over 79% on annual basis, Anadolu Agency reported.
The number of cruise ship passengers covering arrivals, departures and transit passengers reached 61,113 in the first quarter, indicating an increase of 79.15% compared to the same period last year, according to the General Directorate of Maritime Affairs of the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry.
Fifty ships have docked at the country's ports during the January-March period compared to 42 that arrived in the same period last year.
With these ships, some 753 passengers arrived in Türkiye in January and 627 in March last year, totaling 1,380. This year, with 893 passengers arriving in the first month of the new year, 16 a month later and 2,042 in March, this figure has climbed to 2,951 in total.
On the other hand, in the same period, the number of passengers departing from Türkiye to other countries was registered at 1,600 last year. Latest data suggests this figure has also climbed to 3,308 in the first three months of 2024.
During this period, Kuşadası port in western Türkiye hosted the most cruise ships and passengers. The port welcomed 26 ships and 35,885 passengers in the first three months of 2024.
