Marine Tourists at Incheon Port Surpass 1.19 Million This Year... Cruise Passengers Up 300%

Marine tourism passenger numbers at Incheon Port have continued to grow steadily since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Incheon Port Authority (IPA) announced on October 23 that the number of marine tourists using Incheon Port reached 1,192,000 as of September this year. This represents a 22.6% increase compared to the 972,000 marine tourists recorded during the same period last year.

This year, cruise passengers at Incheon Port totaled approximately 67,300, more than four times the 16,600 recorded during the same period last year. A total of 26 cruise ships have called at Incheon so far this year, and the increase in both vessel size and the proportion of homeport departures has contributed to the rise in passenger numbers.

In the Korea-China ferry sector, the resumption of the Dandong route in April this year expanded the number of routes from six to seven, accelerating the increase in passenger traffic. The resumption of group tours further boosted growth, resulting in both monthly and cumulative figures turning upward from August, showing a clear recovery trend. This year, ferry passengers totaled approximately 309,100, a 7.7% increase compared to 287,000 during the same period last year.

Passengers on the Korea-China ferry are arriving at the Incheon Port International Passenger Terminal. Photo by Incheon Port Authority

Additionally, coastal passenger numbers reached 815,341, a 22% increase from last year, thanks to the opening of new routes and the revitalization of island tourism.

The IPA expects that, with the continued upward trend in cruise, Korea-China ferry, and coastal passenger numbers since August, the total number of marine tourists will surpass 1.5 million by the end of the year.

Lee Kyungkyu, President of IPA, stated, "The return to growth in cruise, ferry, and coastal passenger numbers means that marine tourism at Incheon Port has not only recovered from the pandemic but is now on a growth trajectory. We will continue to strengthen the competitiveness of marine tourism at Incheon Port through diversified marketing activities."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.