A Europa 2 cruise ship arriving at Incheon port / Courtesy of Incheon Port Authority
Cruise tourism in Incheon, Korea’s western port city that suffered a recession in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, is rapidly revitalizing, officials said, Friday.
The Incheon Metropolitan Government announced that it has attracted 30 cruise ships to enter Incheon next year, in collaboration with the Incheon Port Authority and the Incheon Tourism Organization.
This is nearly twice the size of 16 ships entering the port this year.
As a result, 75,000 people, including 53,000 passengers and 22,000 crew members, will visit Incheon on a cruise.
The city predicted that the number of tourists in Incheon would increase as the number of home port cruises departing from Incheon and overnight port cruises anchoring at cruise terminals for a day increased.
In particular, 12 cruises are based in Incheon, which is expected to contribute not only to the influx of tourists but also to revitalizing the local economy by supplying basic products to the ship, such as food and refueling.
A total of 14 cruise ships have entered Incheon this year, and two more will come in by the end of the year, bringing 16 ships and 30,000 people to visit.
Previously, cruise travel resumed from 2020 to 2022 with 12 ships coming in last year after cruise entry was completely cut off in the aftermath of COVID-19.
Opened in Songdo, Incheon, in 2019, the cruise-only terminal currently has a 430-meter-long pier that can anchor the world’s largest 225,000-ton cruise ship.
The city and related agencies have actively marketed to foreign shipping companies and travel agencies by attending various cruise events to attract cruise ships and are operating shuttle buses and promotional halls to enhance tourism convenience.
“Incheon is garnering attention as a new home port for international cruise ships and travel agencies,” an Incheon city official said. “We will work hard to revitalize local tourism and the economy.”
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