KMI Hosts Marine Leisure Tourism CEO Invitation Seminar

Discussing Solutions for Industry Structural Changes, Regulatory Improvements, and New Industry Development
Industry CEOs Share On-site Perspectives

The Korea Maritime Institute (KMI), led by President Cho Jeonghee, held the "2025 Marine Leisure Tourism CEO Invitation Seminar" at Lotte Hotel Busan on the 26th, with the participation of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and CEOs from companies in the marine leisure tourism sector.

KMI is holding a seminar inviting CEOs of marine leisure tourism and taking a commemorative photo. Photo by KMI

This seminar was organized to discuss the structural changes faced by the marine leisure tourism industry in the rapidly changing global tourism and leisure environment, regulatory and institutional issues, and new business opportunities.

In particular, as part of KMI's ongoing "Industry-Policy-Field Linked CEO Roundtable," the event provided a meaningful opportunity for major industry CEOs to directly share on-site perspectives.

During the keynote presentation, Professor Park Changhwan of Dongseo University analyzed overall industry changes, such as the diversification of global tourism demand and the premiumization of leisure consumption trends, under the theme of "Structural Changes in the Global Marine Leisure Tourism Market." He also suggested strategic directions that Korea's marine leisure tourism industry should pursue in response.

Following this, a CEO roundtable discussion was held, moderated by Yoon Seongsun, Director of the Marine Research Division at KMI. Participants commonly identified the most urgent tasks for revitalizing the industry as: ▲ easing regulations and improving systems, ▲ fostering new industries based on convergence and expansion, and ▲ establishing a sustainable industrial ecosystem.

Industry representatives from sectors such as marinas and yachts, surfing and underwater leisure, cruises, and marine equipment and manufacturing cited rigid laws and systems, overlapping regulations, lack of coordination among stakeholders, and unreasonable safety and inspection standards as major obstacles. Accordingly, participants emphasized the need to establish an integrated regulatory system that fits current realities, centered on the Marine Leisure Tourism Promotion Act.

Additionally, to strengthen the industry base, participants agreed on the need to establish a regular consultative platform involving industry, academia, and research institutions; to secure basic data and strengthen R&D; and for active support from the government and local authorities to respond to increasing foreign marine tourism demand. In particular, the expansion of policy finance, infrastructure development, and improvements to safety, insurance, and workforce standards were identified as urgent policy tasks.

KMI President Cho Jeonghee stated, "Marine leisure tourism has already established itself as a key industry generating high added value worldwide. Korea, too, is at a turning point for growth, driven by rising coastal tourism demand and market expansion. This seminar served as a venue to discuss practical solutions to structural challenges such as regulations, infrastructure, and safety management faced in the field. KMI will spare no effort in research and support to ensure the industry's voices are reflected in policy and lead to new business opportunities."

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