In mid-February, the concession contract for the development, construction, and operation of a new terminal in Dubrovnik was announced. The Dubrovnik Port Authority has granted a 40-year concession for the construction of the new terminal at the international cruise port to Dubrovnik International Cruise Port Investment, a company formed by Turkey's Global Port Holding and Bouygues Batiment International.
Work will begin in September-October of this year (in the Gruz area next to the DPA building) and is scheduled to be completed in 2018. For its part, DIPCI (Dubrovnik International Cruise Port Investment) will demolish all existing buildings, including a large supermarket, to clear the area and build a modern cruise terminal, a parking lot, and an international bus station in Gruz, a town considered the heart of the port and located just three kilometers from Dubrovnik's main attraction: the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Dubrovnik is lauded as one of the top 10 destinations in the world, ranking third in the Mediterranean for cruises and turnarounds. It is considered a must-see destination, a marquee port with approximately 600 ship calls annually, which attracted 860,000 passengers last year. Plans are underway to expand the airport's capacity and construct a highway connecting it to the city, thereby attracting even more passengers in the future.
Saygin Narin, CEO of GPH, stated, “Our main objective is to support the sustainability of Dubrovnik by creating a second tourist attraction after the Old Town and to reduce traffic, particularly during peak season. The project includes a car park and parking for tourist buses.”.
