The Turkish government is opening its wallet in a bid to attract cruise ships back to the country’s ports, as cruise traffic has dramatically fallen off in the Eastern Mediterranean amid geopolitical issues.
According to a Hürriyet report, which could not be confirmed, the government will pay $30 per passenger as an incentive on ships carrying 750 or more guests through Dec. 31.
It is unclear whether the offer extends beyond 2017, as most cruise lines are already deep in the stages of planning 2019 and 2020 itineraries.
The report said that Turkey welcomed some 1.8 million cruise passengers in 2015, and is expecting just over 200,000 this year.