The expectation of an increase in cruise tourism in Alanya district of Antalya made tourism professionals happy.
The increasing activity in Alanya, which has hosted 11 ships and approximately 10 thousand passengers since the beginning of the year in cruise tourism, known as "floating hotels", will continue until the end of the year.
Istanbul Maritime Ship Agency Operations Manager Adnan Enderoğlu told the AA correspondent that until 2014, there were days when 3-4 cruise ships docked at the Alanya Port at the same time.
Explaining that there was great activity in the sector in those years, Enderoğlu said, "Later, in 2014, no cruise ships came to our ports due to the conflicts and war that started with the military operation launched by Israel in Gaza under the name 'Protective Line'. While we were trying to fix the sector, this time the Covid-19 epidemic broke out and we experienced problems in all ports. But we currently have an incredible reservation for the 2024 period. "We have already provided 46 ship connections for Alanya."
Enderoğlu stated that they expect this number to increase in the future and that the conflicts in the region will direct cruise ships to safe ports.
Stating that Turkey is safe in this sense, Enderoğlu said, "Ships following the Israeli route can choose the ports of Marmaris, Bodrum, Kuşadası, Antalya and Alanya, which are not in the plan due to the war. Events may affect reservations. But I believe that in 2024, we expect an increase of up to 100-200 percent compared to 2023."
ALIDAŞ President Kerim Taç: "There was an increase of almost 100 percent compared to last year"
Alanya Port Management Maritime (ALIDAŞ) Chairman of the Board of Directors, Kerim Taç, stated that there was an increase of nearly 100 percent in cruise tourism compared to last year.
Informing that only 6 cruise ships came to the district in 2022, Taç said, "11 ships have arrived since January 2023. 8 more ships are expected to arrive. There are 46 ship reservations for 2024 so far. "We expect an increase of over 100 percent in 2024 compared to 2023."
Taç stated that the problems experienced in the region may affect the reservations, especially the reservations of ships coming from Israel are subject to cancellation.
Stating that the turmoil in the region may have a bad impact on the sector, Taç said:
"The destinations of cruise ships coming from the Eastern Mediterranean are Israel, Cyprus and Alanya. Ships that will not go to ports in Israel may choose our country, but many ships come to us from Israel. For example, we were expecting 24 voyages from Israel in 2024. This is a serious figure. Almost more than half of the ships arriving. That's why it is important for that region to achieve stability. "We hope that the region will stabilize in a short time."
"The increase in recent months and the high expectations are a positive development for our district."
Burhan Sili, Member of the Board of Directors of the Turkish Hoteliers Federation (TÜROFED) and President of the Alanya Touristic Operators Association (ALTİD), emphasized the importance of cruise tourism for the country's economy.
Pointing out that Alanya's cruise potential shows pre-2014 figures, Sili said:
"The economic difficulties and economic contraction experienced in the world, the wars and conflicts that took place in geographies close to our country and in our source markets were reflected in the cruise statistics in our district. We went from those periods when we reached approximately 100 thousand tourists from 124 ships to years when there were only 2 ships and a thousand passengers. Especially after the Covid-19 epidemic, the demand for cruise tourism in our district decreased significantly. However, this year our hopes were revived due to the current demand. "I think the increase in recent months and the high expectations are a positive development for our district."
Sili pointed out that tourists coming from the sea make a significant contribution to the city's economy, whether for a day trip or short-term stay, and added that cruise tourism is valuable in terms of spreading over months and positively affecting other dynamics in the city.