Seoul: The government is allocating 3.4 billion won (US$2.27 million) from supplementary budgets to enhance tourism in cruise port cities following a noticeable rise in passenger arrivals, as announced by the culture ministry.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism reported that approximately 320,000 people arrived in the country aboard cruise ships during the first quarter, marking an 11.4 percent increase from the previous year. Additionally, the number of cruise calls increased by 50 percent year-on-year to 168. Officials are projecting a total of 960 port calls by the end of the year, representing a 63.2 percent rise from 2025.
The government is exploring measures to simplify entry procedures for cruise passengers. President Lee Jae Myung led a tourism strategy meeting in February with the culture, justice, and oceans ministers to discuss expanding on-board immigration checks for travelers arriving on large vessels.
To encourage passengers to venture beyond the immediate port areas, officials plan to implement localized tourism programs. These include operating shuttle buses and launching pop-up markets featuring regional products across six key destinations: Busan, Incheon, Yeosu, Sokcho, Seosan, and Pohang.
The culture ministry and the Korea Tourism Organization operated "K-beauty" shuttle services when the U.S.-based Royal Caribbean ship Spectrum of the Seas docked in Busan on Tuesday with about 6,700 people on board, including 1,500 crew members. As the ship was scheduled to dock in Yeosu for the first time in a decade on Wednesday, authorities planned to offer a Buddhist "temple stay" program at Hwaeom Temple for foreign passengers interested in exploring more of the city.
"We aim to turn cruise tourism into a catalyst for local growth rather than a simple stopover," a ministry official stated.