Kuşadası cruise port in Turkey's Aegean to host 195 cruise ships

With big companies turning their routes to Turkey again, Ege Port in the Kuşadası region of the Aegean province of Aydın, where the highest number of cruise ships anchor annually, is expected to host 195 cruise ships this year with 170,000 tourists.

Ege Port General Manager Aziz Güngör said bookings for 2020 in cruise tourism are going well, adding that it is pleasing for the industry to see that big companies have directed their routes to Turkey again.

Güngör's remarks came after the second cruise ship of the season, the Maltese-flagged Celestyal Olympia cruiser dropped anchor at Ege Port in Kuşadası with 1,540 passengers on Saturday.

In mid-February, Black Watch, which operates under a Bahamas flag, departed from the U.K.'s Southampton port carrying 550 passengers and docked at Kuşadası.

Some of the tourists on Celestyal Olympia, consisting mostly of American tourists, used the opportunity and visited archaeological sites such as the historic sites of Ephesus and the House of Virgin Mary, while others preferred to shop in the downtown area of the city.

Güngör said that Celestyal Olympia would cruise 60 times and carry approximately 87,000 tourists to the province during the season. According to Güngör, 58.7 percent of cruise ships coming to Turkey last year anchored in Kuşadası.

He noted that 145 out of a total of 247 cruise ships coming to Turkey berthed at Ege Port in Kuşadası in the January-October 2018 period, adding: "We expect that more than 170,000 tourists will come to the province with 195 cruise ships in 2019. In addition, it is expected that 70,000 passengers will come with 477 ferry cruises from Greece's Samos Island."

Kuşadası is a famous holiday resort town and is situated conveniently close to major archaeological sites and the Dilek Peninsula National Park, one of Turkey's most biologically diverse areas. Kuşadası is also home to some of the region's most pristine beaches. In 2017, Kuşadası Ege Port welcomed 126 ships and 118,418 cruise passengers.

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Turkey awarded best overseas destination title in China

Turkey was awarded the Best Overseas Destination prize at the 6th Road Trip Festival 2019 held in China. The event was organized within the scope of "I Driver Ceremony" by China Self-Driving Club in Shanghai.

According to a statement by the Culture and Tourism Ministry, Kenan Ağa, the consul at the Turkish Consulate General in Shanghai, received the award on behalf of Turkey.

Since China's declaration of 2018 as its Turkey Tourism Year, a number of events to promote Turkey were organized across the Asian country and the increasing efforts to promote Turkish tourism in China have led to a great number of Chinese tourists making their way to Turkey last year.

Within the scope of the 2018 Turkey Tourism Year in China, Turkey carried out various advertising activities, introduced Turkish cuisine during a number of events and held various other cultural exhibitions, during which the country saw great interest from Chinese tourists.

The number of visitors Turkey hosts from China is a rising trend resulting from bilateral efforts, like the launch of the Turkish Tourism Year and cultural events that promote Turkey for a Chinese audience. As a result, Turkey saw the number of Chinese tourists increase by 59.38 percent to 394,000 in 2018.

As the number of Chinese tourists visiting Turkey has been on the rise again, Chinese airlines are resuming their flights to the country and new carriers are entering the Turkish market.

A Chinese airline based in the southwestern Sichuan Province, Sichuan Airlines, is expected to launch flights to Turkey from Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan. On the other hand, China Southern Airlines resumed flights again at the end of last year.

One of China's largest leisure media sources, Global Times Global Travel Weekly, presented Turkey with the Most Welcoming Destination for Chinese Families in 2018 award at a ceremony held in Beijing in December.

Global Times has been organizing the award ceremony since 2009 in an attempt to provide more choices for outbound Chinese tourists.

In the report for the award ceremony, Global Times drew attention to the increasing number of Chinese visitors to Turkey, noting Chinese visitors have developed an interest in Turkey's heritage sites, natural beauty and world-renowned cuisine.

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Winter in Turkey no longer dead season for Russians

Turkish resort towns have always been the conventional destination for Russian tourists who love enjoying the bright sunshine, golden sand and warm seas in the summer season. Now, Russians have also started to visit their number one tourist destination, Turkey, in the winter season, as well.

According to the figures of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), the number of Russians visiting Turkey recorded a 34 percent surge in January; a figure Russian market experts described as "amazing."

Expanded charter programs of tour operators for the New Year holidays in Antalya and charters on the ski resorts of Turkey were the top five destinations for Russian tourists in January. Turkey welcomed 91,720 citizens of the Russian Federation that month. Turkey's share in the Russian outgoing tourism market was 5.96 percent, the largest January figure in the last three years.

Turkey's holiday resort Antalya hosted 37,314 Russians in the first month of the year − a 75 percent increase from January 2018. More than 50,000 Russians visited Istanbul.

Russia was the top country with 5.96 million visitors last year, accounting for 15.1 percent of all foreign visitors in Turkey. Russia was followed by Germany with 4.51 million visitors. Turkey hosted 39.5 million foreign visitors last year.

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New train on Turkey's Eastern Express to accommodate tourism surge

Anew train will be put into service solely for the purpose of tourism after the Eastern Express became so popular that people trying to reach eastern Turkey by train can no longer find tickets, the culture and tourism minister said Monday.

The Eastern Express travels from the capital Ankara to eastern Kars province and became extremely popular after people started sharing photos of the scenery on social media.

Noting that it is almost impossible to find tickets for the Eastern Express, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said that they will put into service a new train for tourism purposes.

The minister boarded the Eastern Express in Erzurum and headed to Kars as he told reporters that the train reveals eastern Turkey's tourism potential.

He noted that talks are being held with the Minister of Transport Cahit Turhan to organize an alternative train service on the same route, which will enable more people to travel to the east and enjoy the beauties of the region.

Highlighting that the main purpose of the Eastern Express was to provide safe and delay-free transportation services in Turkey's snow-covered east, Ersoy said that the train could easily make the region an international tourism destination.

The new train service will also aim to meet the demands and expectations of international tourists, to encourage more people to visit the region.

"Train services have serious tourism potential," the minister said, adding that Turkey will utilize this potential and fill the gap.

According to official data from State Railways, the Eastern Express carried 14,165 passengers from Ankara to Kars in the first few months of the winter last year. The seats are booked as soon as tickets go on sale and the extra wagons that are added to the express cannot cover demand. The express was on the verge of closure due to lack of interest but now has helped boost tourism in Kars.

Before the popularity of the express, the average age of passengers was 50, but now, university students are the biggest group.

Photographers and videographers are frequent passengers, as the experience provides a wealth of landscapes and vistas, especially during wintertime. For those seeking to be dazzled by a winter wonderland, January and February are ideal times for travel.

After leaving Ankara, the train makes brief stops in the eastern cities of Kırıkkale, Kayseri, Sivas, Erzincan and Erzurum before reaching Kars. At the end of the trip, passengers stretch their legs – or take a sleigh ride – on the frozen Çıldır Lake in Kars, which offers another famous photo-op.

Until a few years ago taking the 24-hour train ride for a 1,365 km (850 mile) trip – instead of a plane journey of little over an hour – would have been considered madness, despite the ridiculously cheap price.

Things changed when a group of young Turkish tourists decided to do away with speed and booked sleeping car reservations on the train. Naturally, they shared the experience on social media and from then on the train became a popular venue for fun, adventure, socializing and new experiences.

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