Aiming to Attract 900,000 Cruise Tourists to Korea This Year
Government to Hold '2025 Cruise Tourism Promotion Roundtable' and Strengthen Regional Tourism at Major Ports
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced that, together with the local governments of the seven major cruise tourism ports (Incheon, Busan, Jeju, Yeosu, Sokcho, Pohang, and Seosan), they will hold a '2025 Cruise Tourism Promotion Roundtable' at Incheon Sangsang Platform on May 26.
In June of last year, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries jointly established the 'Cruise Tourism Promotion Plan' and implemented four strategic tasks: ▲improvement of infrastructure, ▲advancement of tourism products, ▲strengthening of attraction and promotion as well as institutional improvement, and ▲provision of incentives. As a result, the number of inbound cruise tourists to Korea increased from 274,000 in 2023 to 810,060 last year, nearly tripling year-on-year. This year, the goal is to attract 900,000 inbound cruise tourists by improving port infrastructure and expanding tourism content at the ports of call.
To vitalize tourism at the ports of call, the two ministries plan to work with local governments to inspect and improve the readiness of each port, and to develop and advance tourism products that reflect the unique characteristics of each region.
In particular, for the first time this year, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will support the entire process of revitalizing regional tourism at the ports of call, from discovering differentiated tourism content for each port, to commercialization, and connecting with operators. Through this, they aim to showcase the diverse charms of regional tourism in Korea to inbound cruise tourists.
Starting this year, in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, efforts will be made to enhance convenience for tourists by extending terminal operating hours and supporting the Ministry of Justice's onboard immigration inspection project, in order to increase the length of stay of inbound tourists at the ports of call. This is intended to encourage cruise tourists to enjoy tourism at the ports and nearby areas, thereby supporting the activation of regional tourism.
In addition, participants in the roundtable will inspect the customs, immigration, and quarantine (CIQ) facilities at the Incheon Port International Passenger Terminal and discuss improvements to terminal operations. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries plans to continue consulting with related agencies to improve terminal facilities and implement flexible staffing arrangements to enhance terminal operation efficiency.
Yoo In-chon, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, "Cruise tourism is one of the most important means to vitalize regional tourism by attracting large numbers of tourists," and added, "We will continue to work with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and local governments so that inbound cruise tourists recognize ports of call not just as stopover points but as new tourist destinations, and actively tour the ports and nearby areas."
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