Cruise tourism continues to be the rising value of recent years. In 2021, 78 passengers came to Turkey with 45 cruise ships. In 362, the number of cruise ships increased 2022 times to 12. The number of passengers increased 991 times and exceeded 22 million 1 thousand.
Camelot Maritime, the first company in Turkey to operate a foreign-owned cruise ship, enables the development of cruise tourism in our country with its investments and works. Raising the bar of the sector with its quality service and know-how, Camelot Maritime officials are very hopeful in 2023 cruise tourism.
Turkish ports are popular with Russian tourists
Stating that the problems experienced in the Schengen visa generally affect the holiday plans of those who will prefer cruise tourism in Turkey, Camelot Maritime Chairman of the Board Captain Emrah Yılmaz Çavuşoğlu said, “Unfortunately, we anticipate that Turkish holidaymakers will change their cruise holiday plans due to the problems experienced in Schengen visas this year. Apart from this, foreign tourists will visit our country and there will be no change in their preferences for cruise ships; We even expect an increase. We have made it an attractive option for Russian tourists to visit Turkish ports by cruise ship with our ship named Astoria Grande, which we operate. Therefore, it would not be too modest to say that we have a separate contribution to Turkish tourism.”
There will be innovations, Çeşme and Egypt are within the programs
Çavuşoğlu said that they provide Russian holidaymakers with the opportunity to have cruises with stops at Turkish ports departing from Russia, adding, “This year, Çeşme and Egypt are among our calling programs. We can update the program according to the global balances next year," he said. Regarding Galataport, Çavuşoğlu said: “Galataport has truly become one of the tourism faces of the country. We hope that we will not be limited to the existing one by keeping up with the developing world. Because tourism is a constantly renewed sector and it can breathe by keeping it updated. We think that ports and local governments should develop themselves by anticipating the cruise tourism culture and demands and make investments in this sense. Galataport has succeeded in coming to the fore with its investment in this sense, but we do not consider it sufficient. Our country has the capacity to do and present better ones.” Çavuşoğlu said that cruise ships visited ports such as Çeşme, Kuşadası, Marmaris, Alanya and İstanbul last year and said, “As Camelot Maritime; By choosing Samsun, Sinop, Amasra, Ordu, Trabzon and Istanbul, we followed a Black Sea-based route in the sector apart from the Mediterranean Basin.
Cruise tourism will peak this year
Stating that according to the information received from the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, the number of cruise passengers exceeded 2022 million in 22, Çavuşoğlu finally gave the following information:
“In 2021, 78 passengers came to Turkey with 45 cruise ships. In 362, the number of cruise ships increased 2022 times to 12. The number of passengers increased 991 times in the same period, exceeding 22 million 1 thousand. We think that cruise tourism will peak in 6. Domestic tourists in our country mostly prefer Greek islands tours. We encouraged local governments in Turkey about cruise tourism. Due to the revival of cruise tourism in our country, we continue to train personnel for the world's seas on our ships. At sea, every personnel actually becomes a representative of our country. We are raising people who are aware of this. We provide training and employment on board and in our office.”