Pohang City and Lotte JTB Join Hands to Revitalize Yeongilman Port Cruise Tourism Industry

Cruise Departing from Yeongilman Port to Hokkaido, Japan to Operate This December

City Secures Port Infrastructure and Develops Cruise Products to Boost Local Economy

Pohang City signed a business agreement with Lotte JTB on the 7th in the city hall's main conference room to promote the cruise tourism industry at Yeongilman Port.

On the 7th, Pohang City signed a business agreement with Lotte JTB in the city hall conference room to promote the Yeongilman Port cruise tourism industry.

With this agreement, Pohang City and Lotte JTB will join forces to regularly operate cruises using Yeongilman Port as a home and port of call, develop related cruise industries, and work to revitalize the local economy by creating jobs.

The city has been relaunching its homeport cruise business, which was suspended due to COVID-19, since last year. To expand foreign cruise calls, it is promoting Pohang and Yeongilman Port through various methods such as local port sales in Japan and China, participation in cruise forums and related events, and familiarization tours for cruise lines.

Lotte JTB, which signed the agreement, is a tourism company established in 2007 as a joint venture between Lotte Group and Japan's largest travel company, JTB.

Since launching charter cruise operations in 2019, the company has focused on expanding the domestic and international cruise tourism market. This year, it plans to operate a 5-night, 6-day cruise departing from Yeongilman Port on December 24, passing through Japan's Hokkaido (Otaru and Hakodate) region.

Lotte JTB evaluated Yeongilman Port as a port with many strengths, including active cooperation from Gyeongbuk Province and CIQ (Customs, Immigration, Quarantine) agencies, as well as the development of tourism products connecting Pohang and Gyeongju.

Park Jaeyoung, CEO of Lotte JTB, said, "Korea's cruise market is still in its early stages and has great growth potential. If we develop small and medium-sized ports like Yeongilman Port and create demand for cruise tourists through active marketing, the frequency of cruises calling at Yeongilman Port will naturally increase."

Mayor Lee Kangdeok stated, "The cruise market, which faced difficulties due to COVID-19, is now rapidly recovering, and the Asian cruise market is also continuously expanding. We will promptly secure port infrastructure such as the Yeongilman Port International Passenger Terminal and develop unique cruise tourism products to help revitalize the local economy by expanding cruise operations and establishing regular ferry routes."