Fostering Tourism and Wellness Convergence Talent through the RISE Project
Second Consecutive Year of Cruise-Based Overseas Training
How about enjoying a cruise while taking care of your skin?
The Department of Medical Skin Care and Beauty at Dong-Eui Institute of Technology (President Kim Youngdo) conducted an “Overseas Training Program to Experience Cruise-Based Practical Entrepreneurship Cultural Tourism Products” in Japan from October 19 to 22, 2025, as part of the Busan Metropolitan City RISE (Regional Innovation-Centered Universities Support Project).
This program was held for the second consecutive year, following its launch last year. It is designed as a practical entrepreneurship talent development course that combines two of Busan’s seven strategic industries: ▲ global tourism (specialized tourism) and ▲ life care (living care), focusing on the cruise spa sector.
It was the first time in Korea that a cruise ship was used as an educational platform by a university. As a program aimed at developing entrepreneurship-oriented cultural tourism products, it has been highly regarded for its educational innovation and industry connectivity.
This year’s program was operated in collaboration with Busan TNC, which manages the Busan Port Medical Tourism Support Center, and targeted cruise tourists docking at Busan Port. At the “Beauty & Wellness Popup Zone” (July to November), students carried out practical activities at booths for facial skin analysis and hand massage, directly realizing a convergence model of Busan-style K-beauty and wellness tourism.
The training group departed from Gimhae International Airport and traveled to Tokyo, Japan, where they visited a local beauty vocational school to observe the Japanese education system and industry practices. They also explored major tourist attractions in Japan, analyzing trends and operational methods of tourism products. Subsequently, students boarded the “MSC Bellissima,” one of the world’s largest cruise ships, where they experienced service programs and wellness facilities for tourists, gaining a first-hand understanding of the actual operational structure of the global tourism industry.
Jang Jeonghyeon, head of the Department of Medical Skin Care and Beauty at Dong-Eui Institute of Technology, emphasized, “This overseas training is the first practical entrepreneurship-focused program in Korea to use a cruise ship as an educational space. As with last year, students were able to experience the trends in global tourism and the beauty industry firsthand, fostering their creative entrepreneurial capabilities.”
Jang added, “We will continue to strengthen field-oriented education linked to local industries based on the RISE project, nurturing practical entrepreneurial talent who will represent Busan.”
Students from Dong-Eui Institute of Technology set off for an overseas training program to experience cruise-based practical entrepreneurship cultural tourism products.
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