It is aimed that approximately 1 million tourists will come to Kusadasi by sea this year, one of the leading centers of cruise tourism.
Kusadasi Aegean Port General Manager Aziz Gungor told the AA correspondent that 2023 was very good for Kusadasi and that the district hosted the most ships and passengers in its history.
Stating that 785 thousand passengers came to the district with 531 cruise voyages and approximately 135 thousand passengers with 680 ferry voyages from Samos Island last year, Gungor pointed out that they exceeded their target level of 900 thousand passengers.
Stating that Kusadasi alone accounts for approximately 50% of the total cruise ship and passenger traffic in Turkiye, Gungor noted that the recovery that started in 2022 after the Covid-19 epidemic continues in 2023.
Stating that they expect a 15% increase in the number of cruises this year, Gungor said, “Approximately 560-565 ships are expected to arrive. In return, we expect 850 thousand cruise passengers. On the ferry part, we expect approximately 150 thousand passengers to come with 850 ferry services and 1 million passengers to come to Kusadasi by sea alone.”
Passenger satisfaction is 90%
Stating that they may exceed the 1 million target this year depending on geopolitical developments, Gungor pointed out that Kusadasi is a world-renowned center in cruise tourism.
Gungor continued his words as follows:
“Kusadasi Port is a very popular port in the world. It is among the top 10 transit ports, especially in the Mediterranean. Cruise ship companies measure the satisfaction of their passengers very seriously. When we look at Kusadasi specifically, we can say that the satisfaction rate of passengers is at the level of 90-93 out of 100, which is one of the highest satisfaction rates in the world.”
Noting that they will host ships in Kusadasi not only in the summer season but all 12 months of the year, Gungor added that the crew of the ships, as well as the tourists, leave a significant amount of foreign currency to the district.
Source: AA / Prepared by Irem Yildiz