Korea Tourism Organization Launches Incheon Port Public-Private Council to Revitalize Korea-China Ferry Tourism, Aiming to Recover 1.03 Million Passengers

Tourism Organization, Incheon City, and Six Ferry Operators Join Forces
Discussing Improvement of Regional Tourism Products and Travel Infrastructure
Pyeongtaek Port Council to Launch on September 10

The Korea Tourism Organization has launched efforts to invigorate Korea-China ferry tourism centered on Incheon Port. The plan is to establish a cooperative system among West Coast ports connecting Incheon, Pyeongtaek, and Gunsan, thereby increasing the influx of Chinese tourists and linking them with regional tourism products.

On the 8th, at the Incheon Port International Passenger Terminal, stakeholders including the Korea Tourism Organization, Incheon City, Incheon Port Authority, and Korea-China ferry operators discussed measures to revitalize tourism during the first meeting of the 'Incheon Port Ferry Inbound Value-Up Council'. Photo by Korea Tourism Organization

On September 8, the Korea Tourism Organization announced that it had inaugurated the "Incheon Port Ferry Inbound Value-Up Council" and held its first meeting at the Incheon Port International Passenger Terminal. A total of 10 related organizations participated, including the organization itself, Incheon Metropolitan City, Incheon Port Authority, Incheon Tourism Organization, and six ferry operators serving Korea-China routes.

The Korea-China ferry routes, which had been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resumed sequentially from 2023. While last year's passenger volume recovered to 414,000, it still fell short of the approximately 1.03 million recorded in 2019. The organization aims to restore demand for maritime tourism to pre-pandemic levels through this council.

During the meeting, attendees discussed expanding regional tourism content and developing customized tourism products to attract both group and individual travelers, as well as improving tourism infrastructure and raising awareness of ferries. The focus was on strengthening cooperation between relevant agencies and ferry operators so that arrivals through ports translate into tourism and consumption in nearby localities.

On August 26, the organization launched a similar council to promote ferry routes at Gunsan Port, and it also plans to establish a Pyeongtaek Port council on September 10. Through these actions, the Korea Tourism Organization aims to build an inbound tourism cooperation system linking Incheon, Pyeongtaek, and Gunsan along the West Coast maritime route.

Dae-Young Kwak, Head of the Korea Tourism Organization's Gyeongin Office, stated, "We plan to complete the West Coast inbound maritime governance system connecting Incheon, Pyeongtaek, and Gunsan, and bring new vitality to the regional tourism ecosystem."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.