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Culture and oceans ministries to collaborate on Korea's cruise industry expansion

Published: 17 Jun. 2024, 16:43 Updated: 17 Jun. 2024, 17:56

LEE JIAN
[email protected]

Cruise ship Bue Dream Melody carrying some 350 Chinese tourists is docked at the Busan Port on June 12, 2024. [YONHAP]

The local cruise business is getting a financial boost as the Korean government announced Monday that it aims to attract an annual 1 million tourists through cruise tourism by 2027.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries are slated to open a new wharf in North Jeolla's Saemangeum industrial complex by 2026 and begin construction of a maritime passenger terminal at Mukho Port in Donghae, Gangwon.

They have also designated different themes for Korea's seven existing call ports, or cruise stops, according to their located region. More call ports are expected to be developed in the coming years as the government said that it will be evaluating trade ports across the country as new potential cruise stops.

For the convenience of overseas tourists, the ministries said that they will closely collaborate with the country's customs agency to implement an automated immigration system that will shorten screening times.

They also plan to extend the operating hours of the cruise passenger terminals and install around-the-clock, unmanned currency exchange machines near them.

The ministries hope their efforts will ensure cruise tourists spend an annual 279.1 billion won ($201 million), also by 2027.

The cruise industry is considered one of the most lucrative businesses in leisure tourism and is a viable solution for dispersing tourists to more regional areas. Global cruise market revenue was $25.14 billion in 2023, according to Statista and is expected to grow through 2028 by an extra $6.6 billion.

"By revitalizing local tourism through cruises, we will attract tourists to various regions of our country," said Second Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Jang Mi-ran in the ministry's press release.

"We hope these new measures by the two ministries, the [cruise] industry and related organizations, will greatly help revitalize the coastal region's economy and the cruise industry," said Vice Oceans Minister Song Myeong-dal in the same press release. “Our ministry will do its best to increase cruise ship call ports and their tourists by actively developing new infrastructure, systems and promotional events with continuous cooperation with related organizations."

BY LEE JIAN [[email protected]]