Cruise Tourism Surges Again... Beyond Recovery in Inbound Demand, 'Departure Market' Also Awakens

Recovery Confirmed by Statistics, Private Sector Experiments with Departures
Cruise Tourism Enters Growth Phase... Infrastructure Will Decide Success

Cruise tourism is experiencing a revival. The number of cruise tourists visiting Korea, which had plummeted after the COVID-19 pandemic, is rapidly increasing, signaling not just a recovery but a shift toward growth. Recently, Korean travel agencies have also begun to introduce cruise packages departing from Korea.

Lotte Tour operates the cruise ship 'MSC Bellissima,' which will begin sailing in 2027. It is a super-large cruise ship of 170,000 tons that can carry 5,700 passengers. Photo by Lotte Tour

According to Korea Tourism Organization's Data Lab, the number of cruise tourists (based on passengers) entering Korea in 2025 reached 880,224. This is a 24.8% increase from the previous year’s 731,499. The number of cruise tourists visiting Korea was only 202,167 in 2023, but surged to 731,499 in 2024, and has continued to rise for two consecutive years.

The total number of cruise arrivals, including crew members, shows a similar trend. It jumped from 424,931 in 2023 to 1,335,861 in 2024, and further increased to 1,545,916 in 2025. Industry experts interpret this as more than a simple rebound, noting that both the number of port calls and the frequency of operations are expanding simultaneously, indicating that the market has entered an expansion phase.

Korean Cruise Tourism Moves Beyond 'Recovery' to 'Growth'

Until now, cruise tourism in Korea has faced growth limitations due to decreased demand from China and insufficient port and immigration infrastructure. However, recently, demand for short-haul routes such as Japan and Taiwan has been increasing, and the high per capita spending of cruise tourists is being highlighted once again. This has renewed the interest of local governments and the travel industry.

An industry official stated, "If 2024 was a year of recovery after COVID-19, from 2025 onward, we are seeing a structural expansion of cruise tourism in Korea. The key to future success will be extending the length of stay at ports of call and linking cruise visits with regional tourism."

Status of cruise tourists visiting Korea and number of arrivals by year. Data from Korea Tourism Organization

Now, Cruises Departing from Korea Are Also Being Tested

With the recovery in inbound demand, cruise tourism departing from Korea is also entering an experimental phase, led by the private sector. Lotte Tour is preparing to operate a chartered super-large cruise ship, the 'MSC Bellissima,' with a capacity of 5,700 passengers and weighing 170,000 tons, departing from Incheon Port starting in 2027. It is unusual for a domestic travel agency to charter an entire super-large global cruise ship for regular operations.

Modetour also plans to introduce an exclusive charter cruise departing from Busan for the first time since its founding, and Woongjin Freed Life is launching tailor-made charter cruises for Korean customers. These moves reflect a growing push into the cruise market for departures from Korea.

However, it is currently difficult to verify the number of Korean outbound cruise tourists with official statistics, as the Korea Tourism Organization's Data Lab compiles cruise statistics based on foreign and domestic tourists entering Korea. The industry considers the outbound cruise market to still be in a 'market validation phase.'

Gyehee Lee, professor of tourism at Kyung Hee University, pointed out, "While the growth potential of cruise tourism is clear, unless immigration, customs, and quarantine procedures are simplified and cruise-only terminals are expanded, there will inevitably be significant limitations." Given that thousands of people board and disembark simultaneously on cruises, delays in these procedures can reduce the time spent ashore, thereby diminishing the positive impact on regional tourism.

Nevertheless, as the increase in cruise tourists visiting Korea is confirmed by statistics and cruise products departing from Korea are being tested, cruise tourism is once again drawing attention as a new growth engine for the domestic tourism industry. Professor Lee added, "It is now time to view cruise tourism not as a one-off event, but as an industry that should be fostered in the mid- to long-term."