Yusuf Ozturk, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Chamber of Shipping (DTO) Izmir Branch, announced that 705 cruise ships are scheduled to anchor in Izmir, Cesme and Kusadasi ports this year.
The branch’s regular February council meeting was held in the chamber’s council hall.
Speaking at the meeting, Ozturk said that the recession in the global economy and the bottlenecks in maritime trade caused by the Red Sea and the Panama Canal continue.
Stating that more than 33 ships were attacked in the Red Sea, Ozturk said, “Ship passage through the Suez Canal last week decreased by 55% compared to the same period of the previous year. The decrease rate in container ships reached 67%. Cape of Good Hope crossings increased by approximately 75%. The economic and environmental costs of the Red Sea crisis are constantly increasing. It is stated that the ship’s route change increased emissions between Singapore and Northern Europe by 70%.”
Ozturk noted that there was a decrease in freight prices due to weak demand and excess container ship capacity.
Stating that they expect a positive year in terms of cruise tourism, Ozturk said:
“This season, 71 passenger ships are expected to come to Izmir, 74 to Cesme, and 560 to Kusadasi. On Sunday, March 3, the ‘Sun Princess’ ship will dock at Ege Port Kusadasi Port for the first time. We will be there too. In Izmir, the cruise season will start in April. In order to increase the satisfaction of incoming passengers, new destinations need to be created on the Bergama, Sart and Urla axes.”
Source: AA / Prepared by Irem Yildiz