Cruise Tourists Experience "Templestay Healing" at Millennium-Old Hwaeomsa Temple

Participating in Tea Conversations, Temple Food Cooking, Temple Etiquette, and Meditation
Introducing Korea’s Spiritual Culture and Wellness Content to the Global Tourism Market

Hwaeomsa Temple in Jirisan (Chief Monk: Woo Seok) announced on May 13 that 25 passengers from the world-renowned cruise line Royal Caribbean’s mega cruise ship, Spectrum of the Seas, participated in the "Hwaeomsa Templestay Cruise Pilot Tour," where they experienced firsthand Korea’s traditional Buddhist culture and the spiritual world of a millennium-old temple.

In connection with the global cruise tourism revitalization project promoted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization, passengers from the Spectrum of the Seas, which called at Yeosu Port that day, took part in various programs at Hwaeomsa. These included a tea conversation with Monk Seonggak, a temple food cooking experience, temple etiquette education, and meditation programs, allowing them to deeply experience Korea’s traditional temple culture. They also spent time healing both body and mind amidst the natural surroundings at the foot of Jirisan Mountain.

This event was organized as a cultural tourism program tied to Royal Caribbean’s return to Yeosu Port as a new port of call after 10 years. It is recognized as a meaningful case that goes beyond simple sightseeing to introduce Korea’s unique spiritual culture and wellness content to the global tourism market.

Song Imsuk, head of the Hwaeomsa Templestay team, stated, "This Royal Caribbean-linked templestay is not just a tourism program, but a new cultural tourism model that introduces Korea’s spiritual culture and traditional wellness content to people around the world," adding, "We will continue to collaborate with the Korea Tourism Organization to expand high-quality international templestay programs that attract global tourists."

She also said, "Based on the historical, cultural, and natural assets of Jirisan and Hwaeomsa, we will work to develop regionally connected global tourism content that can contribute to revitalizing tourism in areas such as Gurye and Yeosu on the southern coast."