Cruise industry leaders look at the capacity for growth for the cruise industry in Korea

Whilst Korea is still a relatively new destination for the cruise industry, 12 ports have been identified as ideal for the calling of cruise ships, and the revenue generated by cruise tourism is already worth over US$1.1billion, according to the projections for 2015 from Korea Tourism Organization. As infrastructure in some of these ports is set to expand, there is distinct optimism in the future potential of the cruise industry in Korea. The challenges and opportunities for the region will be discussed at a dedicated workshop taking place this week at Seatrade Cruise Asia on Friday 12 June 2015 from 0900-1000 hrs.

Moderating the session is Robert W. Guy Managing Director - Singapore & Malaysia for Destination Asia, who is looking forward to the discussions in the session:”Korea provides near ideal conditions for cruise ship calls, with many ports offering attractive close-by points of historic, scenic and cultural interest. The major cruise ports also understand the need for the development of infrastructure in order to handle ships of increasing size, with Busan already leading the way with their new 93,000m2 international cruise terminal as part of their port redevelopment. I am looking forward to the open discussions the ‘Focus on Korea’ Power Hour workshop will provide and to seeing the future of the industry in the region grow.”

Having seen a spurt in cruise ship calls to 610 planned for 2015, and peaking at 1.1 million passengers, the government is keen to ensure policy matches this drastic growth to guarantee the future sustainability of the market. This success has led to 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.

Joining Mr Guy for the session will be Michael Hackman EVP, Marine Operations and New Ship Building, Genting Hong Kong Limited, Helen Huang, General Manager, China, Costa Crociere SpA, Chan-Young Jun, Director General, Port Research Division, Korea Maritime Institute (KMI) and Sonchung Yong, Executive Director, Cruise Infrastructure Department, Korea Tourism Organization.

Hosted by Busan Port Authority, Busan Metropolitan City, Korea Tourism Organization and Korea Marine Leisure Network, Seatrade Cruise Asia is an annual cruise industry event, focused purely on Asia. The event will take place at the Busan Exhibition and Convention centre in Busan, Korea from 11-12 June 2015.

sourced:traveldailynews.asia