Turkey handled 41,039 cruise passengers in March, the highest figure for the month in 16 years, the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry said Monday.
The ministry said 26 cruise ships called at Turkish ports during the month, up 4.9% from a year earlier. In the first quarter, 56 ships brought 93,787 passengers.
Istanbul led in March with eight ship calls and 13,307 passengers, followed by Kuşadası with seven ships and 12,191 passengers. İzmir’s Alsancak port received five ships carrying 9,723 passengers, while other ports handled six ships and 5,818 passengers.
In the January–March period, Istanbul again ranked first with 18 ship calls, ahead of Kuşadası with 17 and İzmir Alsancak with 13. Istanbul also topped passenger traffic with 35,800 travelers, followed by İzmir Alsancak with 27,467 and Kuşadası with 22,682.