A top official announced on Thursday that the number of cruise travellers coming to Turkey will surpass 1 million in 2022, signalling the end of the critical industry's recovery from the pandemic's effects.

In contrast to the 78 cruise ships that came in 2021, 991 cruise ships moored at Turkish ports last year, an increase of more than 12 times, according to a statement from Transport and Infrastructure Minister Adil Karaismailolu.

Compared to the 45,362 passengers who arrived the year before, the number of cruise passengers increased by a factor of 22 to more than 1 million, according to Karaismailolu.

The minister emphasized that in October alone, there were more cruise ships stopped in Turkish ports than there were in the entire year 2021. He also mentioned that 155 cruise ships carried 206,484 passengers in October, the busiest month of the year for passenger arrivals.

According to the ministry, Ku?adas, which is located on the country's western coast, had 464 cruise ships and 493,834 people dock there last year. Galataport in Istanbul, which was selected as the year's best port, had 143 ships arrive there and welcomed 220,082 people.

Galataport is projected to revitalize cruise traffic from the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea and inject a shot in the arm of the vital tourism industry, which has been weakened by the coronavirus outbreak.

The port wants to get 1.5 million cruise passengers among its 25 million annual tourists.

Third-placed Southwestern Bodrum Port with 98 ships and 95,462 cruise travelers. The northern Black Sea regions of Sinop, Amasra, and Trabzon all experienced a large uptick in cruise travel, according to Karaismailolu.

In 2022, a total of 7,906 passengers landed in Sinop aboard 14 cruise ships, according to Karaismailolu, who also noted that the Black Sea ports of Amasra and Ünye hosted cruise ships for the first time.

The minister reported that eight ships with a combined 4,905 passengers also berthed at Amasra Port.

Karaismailolu continued, "We will keep making investments in the growth of cruise tourism.