Cruise ship with 375 passengers docks in resort town Kuşadası

KUŞADASI

A Malta-flagged cruise ship which has carried 375 tourists from the Greek island of Rhodes to the popular Turkish resort town of Kuşadası, one of the important centers of Turkish tourism, has docked.

Some 375 tourists, mostly U.S. citizens, who came disembarked the cruise, entered the country, after undergoing thermal camera control, a precaution against the coronavirus.

While disinfection activities are carried out in certain parts of the harbor and tour buses to be used by tourists, some of the passengers went to Ephesus and the Virgin Mary’s House, while others preferred to shop in the city center.

Stating that all precautions are taken against the virus, Aegean Port general manager Aziz Güngör said that all cruise passengers arriving at the checkpoint established by the General Directorate of Borders and Coasts Health were subjected to thermal camera surveillance.

“Our passenger terminal supports this process with its quarantine room and special disinfection methods,” Güngör said.

“We host our guests in the best way, and on the other hand, we take all kinds of health precautions with our public institutions,” he added.

Last year, 194 cruise ships docked at Kuşadası’s ports, bringing in around 180,000 visitors.

Turkey is a key market for major global cruise operators and cruise tourism contributes greatly to the town’s local economy.