Ankara/Anadolu

Turkey hosted 756,455 tourists arriving on cruise ships in the first half of this year.

According to data from the General Directorate of Maritime Affairs under the Turkish Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Turkey continues to strengthen its position as one of the leading cruise ship tourism destinations in the region.

The number of tourists arriving by cruise ships increased nearly threefold compared to the same period in 2022, when the number was 255,817 tourists.

As for the first half of 2025, the number was 732,302, before rising this year to 756,455.

The recorded number of tourists via cruise ships in the first half of 2026 is the highest half-year figure in the last 16 years, according to available data.

The port of Kuşadası in Aydın province, western Turkey, topped the list of ports receiving cruise ships in the six months with 204 ships.

Meanwhile, the number of cruise ships that docked at Turkish ports during the first half of the year reached 488 ships.