Sokcho Port Cruise Resumption Gains Momentum... Gangwon-do Makes All-Out Effort to Attract Cruises

Leap to Become the Hub of East Sea Rim Cruises: Mid- to Long-Term Development Strategy
Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to Host Over 160 Cruise Ship Arrivals Domestically This Year
Establishment of the '2nd Basic Plan for Cruise Industry Development'

On the morning of the 13th, the Amadea, a German-flagged 29,000-ton cruise ship, arrived at Sokcho Port in Gangwon Province carrying about 500 passengers and 300 crew members.

This marks the first time in three years that a cruise ship carrying travelers has entered South Korea since the suspension caused by the COVID-19 pandemic originating from China.

At the welcoming ceremony for the Amadea's arrival, Song Sang-geun, Vice Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, stated, "We will foster cruise cities not only in Sokcho but also in Busan, Jeju, Incheon, and Yeosu to help revitalize the local economy and improve the travel balance."

The German-flagged cruise ship Amadea, weighing 29,000 tons and carrying about 500 passengers and 300 crew members, arrived at Sokcho Port at 7:10 a.m. on the 13th.
[Photo by Sokcho City]

According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, starting with the arrival at Sokcho, about 160 cruise ship visits are planned in South Korea this year, and the '2nd Basic Plan for Cruise Industry Development' will be established and implemented.

The goal is to attract 500,000 foreign tourists annually by 2027 by promoting cruise ship routes in the Pan-West Sea region, Pan-East Sea region, and Fly & Cruise routes.

To this end, support will be provided for the development of various themed cruise products, operation of public cruise experience groups, and online and offline promotions to expand the domestic cruise market.

Lee Byung-seon, Mayor of Sokcho, said, "We plan to attract tourism products linked to the Fly & Cruise tourism using Yangyang Airport as well as the East-West high-speed rail scheduled for completion in 2027," adding, "We will develop tourism products centered on Seorak Mountain and the Seorak area, especially DMZ tourism, in cooperation with neighboring local governments."

The Gangwon Province East Sea Headquarters declared that this year will be a turning point for the Gangwon cruise industry to leap forward as the center of the East Sea cruise region.

In the past, efforts focused on attracting simple international cruise port calls, but from this year, the strategy is to concentrate all efforts on attracting top-tier luxury expedition cruises.

In June, a small cruise festival experience will be held in Abai Village adjacent to Sokcho International Cruise Terminal, where cruise tourists and general tourists can enjoy sunbeds and parasols, along with performances such as mime and busking.

Gangwon Province will establish mid- to long-term strategies for fostering the East Sea cruise industry, including attracting homeport cruises, training professionals, operating differentiated cruise tourism programs, nurturing specialized travel agencies, and supplying cruise ship goods.

Choi Sung-gyun, head of the Gangwon Province East Sea Headquarters, said, "In the short term, we will pursue strategies to mature cruise tourism conditions in the era of $30,000 national income, and in the long term, we will simultaneously promote mid- to long-term cruise industry development strategies."

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Gangwon Province, Sokcho City, and the Gangwon Tourism Foundation held a welcoming event for the passengers and crew of the Amadea at Sokcho Port International Cruise Terminal on the morning of the 13th.
[Photo by Sokcho City]

The Gangwon Tourism Foundation recently announced that it has secured five port calls from Holland America Line cruises.

Holland America Line is a U.S. cruise company under Carnival Corporation, the world's largest cruise group, operating a fleet of 11 ships. It has confirmed one call at Sokcho Port this year and two calls each in 2024 and 2025.

Additionally, the 80,000-ton mid-sized ship Westerdam, carrying about 2,000 passengers, is scheduled to call at Sokcho Port.

The Gangwon-style Fly-Cruise pilot project will also be linked with the Sokcho homeport cruises confirmed twice by Lotte Tour Development on June 12 and 17 this year.

The strategy is to attract Taiwanese tourists via the direct Fly Gangwon route between Yangyang International Airport and Taipei, Taiwan. Recently, a business briefing was held jointly with Lotte Tour, and full-scale customer recruitment will begin in March.

Until now, over 98% of passengers on Sokcho homeport cruises have been domestic tourists, but through the Gangwon-style Fly-Cruise pilot project, the plan is to promote the influx of foreign tourists to Gangwon Province and encourage extended stays.

Park Won-sik, head of the MICE Cruise Team at the Gangwon Tourism Foundation, said, "Overseas cruise companies are often captivated by Gangwon's outstanding natural scenery, such as Seorak National Park, and diverse local culture, leading to successful fam tours. This year, we plan to increase the number of visits and are coordinating schedules with several cruise companies from Europe and America."