The heads of international cruise ship companies will gather together in Jeju, southern island of South Korea between August 25 and 27 to share their views on the global cruise industry and Korea’s growth potential.

According to sources on Thursday, representatives of international cruise lines will meet together at the 2016 Asia Cruise Forum Jeju that will be held for three days starting August 25 at the Maison Glad Jeju hotel in Jeju, Korea.

Chief executives of the cruise lines volunteered and prepared a session to discuss the growth potential of Korea in the Asian cruise market, said an official of the maritime affairs ministry. The international cruise industry is growing around Shanghai, China, said the official as he added that this forum would serve as “a good opportunity to identify Korea’s growth potential” in the cruise sector through the Yellow Sea cruise route connecting Jeju and China.

Participants of the 2016 Asia Cruise Forum Jeju include Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises, Zinan Liu, president of China and North Asia Pacific region, Royal Caribbean International, Buhdy Bok, president of Costa Group Asia, David Herrera, president of Norwegian Cruise Line China, Achille Staiano, head of commercial services at MSC Cruises, and Thatcher Brown, president of Dream Cruises.

The maritime affairs ministry collected the entry plans of international cruise lines to Korean ports and allotted 1,163 port calls for next year. The port call is a brief visit by a ship, and an average of 2,000 cruise ship passengers are expected to make a visit to a harbor city per each port call, according to the ministry. Currently, Jeju is scheduled to receive the highest number of port calls in Korea with 759 calls followed by Korea’s major port cities Busan with 274 calls and Incheon with 126 calls.

Among the international cruise lines that are scheduled to make a stopover in Korea, the most number of visits is to be made by Princess Cruises. The cruise line has registered a total of 184 calls for next year that includes 99 calls by 115,800-ton cruise ship with 2,670 passengers on tour, and 68 calls by 143,000-ton cruise ship with 3,560 tourists. Other major cruise lines are expected to make a visit to Korean harbors as Costa Group has registered to make 306 calls and Royal Caribbean International plans to make 155 calls.

By Lee Seung-yoon

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]