Chinese Tourists to Spend 8 Hours in Busan for Sightseeing and Shopping
Busan Port Authority (BPA) announced that the cruise ship 'Blue Dream Melody' (42,000 tons, passenger capacity of 1,200, length 202m) departing from Shanghai, China, will arrive at Busan Port International Passenger Terminal (Berth 1) on the 12th.
The Blue Dream Melody is the first cruise ship from China to call at Busan Port since the Chinese government allowed group tours in August last year, and it was attracted through BPA's marketing efforts targeting Chinese cruise operators in 2023.
The Blue Dream Melody carries a total of 352 tourists, including 342 Chinese, 3 British, and 3 Americans.
They will stay in Busan for about eight hours, touring local attractions and shopping at places such as Taejongdae, Haeundae, Nampodong (Yongdusan Park), and Lotte Duty Free, before heading to Nagasaki and Fukuoka in Japan and then returning to Shanghai, China.
Starting with the Blue Dream Melody, the 'Spectrum of the Seas' (169,000 tons, passenger capacity of 4,573, length 321m) and 'Zhaoxiangyidun' (47,000 tons, passenger capacity of 954, length 228m) are scheduled to call at Busan Port a total of 12 times by the end of this year.
The Korean tourism industry expects that, thanks to route adjustments by global cruise operators and the active group cruise tour marketing by Chinese travel agencies, demand for cruise ships from China at Busan Port will increase, which is also expected to benefit related industries and the local economy.
Kang Junseok, President of BPA, stated, "We will closely monitor trends in the Chinese tourism market, actively participate in joint marketing efforts with relevant organizations to prepare for group tourism from China, and do our utmost to ensure smooth operation of cruise facilities at Busan Port."
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