By
Rebecca Gibson |
Busan Port Authority (BPA) is to officially open its new cruise terminal this September and develop additional facilities in the future to boost South Korea’s cruise industry
Located in the redeveloped area of Busan Old Port, the new 93,932sqm terminal will comprise six storeys and have a 360m quay with a 12m water depth, enabling it to accommodate cruise vessels of up to 130,000gt.
By 2018, BPA plans to extend the quay by an additional 75m to enable it to cater for ships of up to 200,000gt. In the interim, Gammam Pier – an existing container berth – will be made available for the larger cruise ships.
The new terminal is directly connected to the bullet train station and offers easy connections to the centre of Busan. Together with Busan’s Yeongdo Cruise Pier facility, which has been operational since 2007, will help to cater for the growing number of cruise passengers and ship calls, which have grown 28-fold and six-fold since 2004 respectively. This year, Busan expects to welcome 280,000 passengers and 135 cruise ships.
“Cruise markets have traditionally focused on the Mediterranean, Europe and the Caribbean but we are now seeing passengers developing a taste for Northeast Asia as we can offer luxurious, yet inexpensive, cruise itineraries,” said Lim Ki-tack, president of Busan Port Authority. “Cruise is a complex industry involving ports, tourism, customs, immigration, quarantine, ship supplies, ship agencies and more. We have listened to each sector so that we can enhance and develop Busan into a leading cruise destination.”
BPA’s cruise development plans are fully supported by the Korean government, which has recently confirmed its commitment to developing the nation as a cruise hub and marine tourism destination. Plans include constructing additional cruise terminals nationwide to enhance facilities from the current three terminals to nine by 2020. In addition, the government will support initiatives to promote the Korean cruise industry, attract more passengers and port calls and offer support to the domestic cruise industry, including state owned cruise carriers.