320,000 Cruise Tourists in Q1...Culture Ministry to Boost Length of Stay at Ports of Call

A Record 960 Cruise Calls Scheduled This Year, Up 63.2% from Last Year
Extra 3.4 Billion Won in Supplementary Budget
Support for Six Major Ports Including Busan and Incheon

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on May 13 that it will expand destination tourism content and implement policies to increase the duration of stay and spending by cruise tourists in local areas, in line with the recent surge in cruise arrivals to Korea. The aim is to ensure that the economic benefits of cruise tourism extend beyond port areas and spread throughout regional tourism sectors.

According to the ministry, approximately 320,000 cruise tourists visited Korea in the first quarter of this year, an 11.4% increase compared to 290,000 during the same period last year. The number of cruise calls during the same period rose to 168, up 50% from 112 last year. A total of 960 cruise calls are scheduled for this year, which is expected to be a 63.2% increase compared to 588 calls in the previous year.

To address the rapidly growing demand for cruise tourism, the ministry secured an additional budget of 3.4 billion won this year. It will support welcome events such as cultural performances, pop-up stores featuring local specialties inside terminals, photo zones, and the operation of circulator buses at six major ports of call: Busan, Incheon, Yeosu, Sokcho, Seosan, and Pohang. The plan is to encourage cruise tourists to spend more time at each destination so that the resulting economic benefits reach local small business owners and the tourism industry.

On May 12, Royal Caribbean’s mega cruise ship, the Spectrum of the Seas, carrying over 5,200 passengers and 1,500 crew members (a total of more than 6,700 people), arrived at Busan Port. The ministry and the Korea Tourism Organization operated a “K-Beauty” circulator bus for cruise ship crew members at Busan Port and provided support so that they could enjoy beauty and hair care services on Seomyeon Medical Street.

This vessel will also call at Yeosu Port on May 13. It is the first time in 10 years that Royal Caribbean has called at Yeosu Port. To commemorate the occasion, 25 foreign passengers will participate in a templestay program at Hwaeomsa Temple, where they will make temple cuisine and have a tea session with monks.

A ministry official stated, “We aim to foster cruise tourism not just as a simple visit but as a catalyst for regional tourism revitalization, so that the economic warmth of cruise tourism can spread throughout the local communities at each port of call. We will continue to develop region-specific content to increase foreign tourist satisfaction and work with relevant ministries to improve boarding and disembarkation convenience.”