Turkey Offers Subsidies to Tourism Operators of Cruise Ships

   September 29, 2017 ,   Cruise Industry

Turkey offers subsidies to A-group cruise operators bringing foreign tourists in a bid to bolster visitor numbers that have fallen sharply because of a series of bomb attacks last year. 

An amount of US$30 will be provided per traveller for vessels with capacity of 750 cruise passengers or more, according to Turkey's cabinet decision released on Official Gazette, September 26. 

According to the decision, tour operators have to present documents showing that they carry tourists by cruise ships to Turkey's Culture and Tourism Ministry. 

In 2016 Turkey’s cruise industry market was severely hit due to escalating security concerns. Many leading cruise lines announced they would leave the country out of their travel plans for 2017. 

Port of Kusadasi Turkey

Image: Port of Kusadasi, Turkey

While over 1.8 million cruisers visited or transited through ports in Turkey by 1,456 liners in 2015, the number of guests declined to 628,000, carried by 590 ships, last year, according to data from General Directorate of Maritime Trade. 

In 2017 only around 213,200 tourists visited Turkish ports by 224 cruise ships.