Cruise visits to İzmir drops after 10 years

İZMİR - Anadolu Agency

The number of cruise ships visiting İzmir dropped to 191 in 2013. AA photo

The economic crisis in Europe negatively affected cruise tourism in Turkey’s western province of İzmir in 2013, as the number of cruise liners visiting the port city declined for the first time in 10 years.

The number of cruise liners visiting the port city declined to 191 in 2013, from 286 in 2012, according to data provided by the İzmir Chamber of Marine Commerce.

Passenger numbers were down from approximately 51,000 in 2012 to 48,000 in 2013, the data also showed.

Ekrem Demirtaş, chairman of the İzmir Chamber of Commerce, stated although several ships refrained from entering the İzmir port during the Gezi Park protests over the summer, it had not adversely affected overall trade.

Several companies also made adjustments to their routes, as they do not want their passengers to carry on along the same route, which may have resulted in cruise visits to İzmir ports to fall, he added.

However, Demirtaş remains optimistic for the future and says İzmir will be on the rise in 2014 as the port is “now on the radar of all cruise companies.”