Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, "Attracting 1 Million Cruise Tourists Annually by 2027"

MOF and MCST Announce 'Cruise Tourism Revitalization Plan'

The government aims to attract 1 million cruise tourists annually to Korea by 2027 and increase tourist spending to 280 billion KRW per year.

On the 17th, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced a plan to revitalize cruise tourism together with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. In April, the two ministries selected cruise tourism revitalization as a collaborative task following strategic personnel exchanges.

International cruise ship image

First, the two ministries will open the Saemangeum New Port cruise pier by next year and begin construction of the Mukho Port international passenger terminal to expand new port infrastructure. They will investigate the conditions for cruise calls at national trade ports and promote the development of three coastal cruise and expedition cruise ports of call. Expedition cruises refer to high-end cruise products that use small cruise ships under 20,000 tons to provide tourists with differentiated experiences featuring unique local content.

To strategically attract tourists to regions, themed brands reflecting the characteristics of seven major ports of call will be established. For example, Incheon Metropolitan City will be branded as the "Airport-Linked Fly and Cruise Homeport City," Sokcho as the "City of World-Class Mountain Trekking," and Pohang as the "City of Division Traces and Fishing Villages," nurturing brands for the seven major ports of call.

Specialized tourism content will be developed and commercialized targeting foreign tourists, along with comprehensive support measures such as tourism venture support and improvement of accommodation readiness. Collaboration with related industries such as travel platforms will proactively foster domestic homeport and quasi-homeport products (Fly and Cruise). Fly and Cruise products involve entering the country through an airport, touring domestically for two nights and three days or more before departure (homeport), or boarding at a domestic port of call and participating in only part of the cruise journey.

Port incentives to attract cruise ships will be strengthened, and business meetings to supply local specialty products as cruise ship provisions will be supported. The industry’s capabilities will be enhanced by training cruise professionals such as guides and crew members. The government plans to solidify cooperation systems among government agencies, port authorities, and the industry, and expand collaboration with related ministries including customs, immigration, quarantine, and security.

Song Myung-dal, Vice Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, said, "The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries will do its best to increase cruise ship calls and tourists by actively promoting infrastructure development, institutional improvements, and port of call promotional activities through continuous cooperation with related organizations."