Camelot Maritime President Çavuşoğlu: "2024 Will Be the Golden Year of Cruise Tourism!"
Emrah Yılmaz Çavuşoğlu, the Chairman of Camelot Maritime, emphasized that cruise tourism will be a lifeline for the Turkish economy, stating that 2024 will witness record-breaking achievements in cruise tourism. He announced that a record was set with 23 cruise ships bringing a total of 24,881 passengers to Turkey in January and February.
Çavuşoğlu pointed out the increasing global impact of cruise tourism, noting that demand for this type of tourism has risen after the pandemic, with Turkey's reliability in this field being a key factor in its preference. Highlighting Turkey's success in cruise tourism, Çavuşoğlu stressed that 2024 holds the potential for new records, citing a 20% increase in reservations in the last quarter of 2023 compared to previous years.
Stating that Turkey exceeded 1.5 million cruise passengers in 2023, setting a record in this field, Çavuşoğlu expressed that 2024 will be the "golden year" of cruise tourism. Gürbüz Can, the General Manager of Camelot Maritime, mentioned that with the start of the new season, the Astoria Grande ship will visit Istanbul, Kuşadası, Alexandria/Egypt, and Izmir ports, with satisfactory occupancy rates.
Çavuşoğlu emphasized Turkey's potential in cruise tourism, stating that according to the Ministry's data, the total number of passengers reached 24,881 in the first two months of 2024, the highest level since 2011. He stated that efforts will continue to further increase Turkey's success in cruise tourism, emphasizing the country's determination to maintain its leadership in this field.