CRUISING is a fledgling tourism segment in South Korea but the outlook is optimistic with industry leaders and the government committed to developing the country’s cruise potential, which will be discussed this week.
Industry leaders are meeting in a dedicated workshop at Seatrade Cruise Asia this Friday to talk about the challenges and opportunities for the region.
Robert W Guy, managing director – Singapore & Malaysia for Destination Asia, will moderate the session. He commented: “South Korea provides near-ideal conditions for cruise ship calls, with many ports offering attractive close-by points of historic, scenic and cultural interest.”
Joining the discussion will be: Michael Hackman, executive vice president, marine operations and new ship building, Genting Hong Kong; Helen Huang, general manager, China, Costa Crociere; Chan-Young Jun, director general, port research division, Korea Maritime Institute; and Sonchung Yong, executive director, cruise infrastructure department, Korea Tourism Organization.
South Korea is set to welcome 610 cruise ship calls and 1.1 million passengers this year. Korea Tourism Organization’s 2015 projections has identified 12 ports for cruise calls, and found that cruising is already worth over US$1.1 billion.
To match the growth in cruising, the government plans to construct additional cruise terminals nationwide to enhance facilities from the current three terminals to nine by 2020, plus a new cruise information centre and customs and immigration facility. The Busan International Cruise Terminal is also set to undergo renovation works from 2016-2018.
