Incheon Port Authority announced its plans to introduce inter-Korean cruise program in order to promote country’s cruise tourism.
According to IPA, it recently formed a taskforce to deal with economic cooperation between North and South Korea, and the cruise program is among team’s 3 key projects. The 2 others are to modernize port of Nampo in the North and import North Korean sand collected close to Haeju.
The plan came as the largest cruise terminal of Korea is due to open in April 2019 in Songdo, Incheon, 50km west of Seoul. The 430-meter cruise ship pier will be able to accommodate between 5,000-6,000 travellers and is believed to bring huge changes to domestic marine tourism market. IPA will encourage foreign liners calling at the new South Korean cruise terminal to make additional calls at North Korean ports like Nampo (South Pyongan Province) and Haeju (South Hwanghae Province).
Images: Port Incheon new cruise terminal Golden Harbor (Songdo Business District)
A regularly scheduled Ro-Ro ferry (cargo-passenger) sailed between Incheon-Nampo from 2002 to 2011. Inter-Korean economic exchanges are currently on hold despite the improved relations between the countries, because of multilayered international sanctions that are imposed on Pyongyang for past missile and nuclear tests.
In order to launch a successful cruise program, IPA plans to analyze inter-Korean licensing procedures and logistics environment by the end of 2018, followed by joint study of North’s sea routes and port infrastructure by the first half of 2019.