Turkey’s resort town of Kuşadası is expected to allow a record number of cruise ships to dock at its port next year, as the industry looks forward to a broad restart after taking a beating from the coronavirus pandemic.
Ege Port in the city of Turkey’s Aegean province of Aydın is known for hosting the highest number of cruisers annually. It just last week welcomed its first cruise ship after a 16-month pause due to pandemic-related curbs that brought travel to a halt.
The local businesses in Kuşadası had much to celebrate as Blue Sapphire brought in 450 passengers consisting mostly of Russian citizens.
Global Ports Holding Eastern Mediterranean Regional Director and Kuşadası Ege Port General Manager Aziz Güngör stressed the impact the pandemic had on the industry, as some of the earliest big outbreaks were found on cruise ships.
Güngör said many cruise companies restarted operations as of May, prompting noteworthy mobility particularly as of July.
“There was some serious momentum, especially after July. Currently, 65 cruise companies are in operation around the world, and 200 ships are expected to be in service by the end of September. That is about 30% of the world’s capacity,” he noted.
“We are just at the beginning,” he added.
