Foreign tourists will find it easier to travel to domestic islands and coastal areas in South Korea. Following the expansion of booking options for rail and express bus services, more coastal ferry routes will now be available for reservation through international online platforms.
Klook announced on September 7 that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Korea Shipping Association to establish a booking system for foreign tourists using coastal ferries.
The key focus of this agreement is to broaden the domestic ferry routes available for booking on Klook to include regional coastal areas. Both parties plan to launch the expanded booking service in the fourth quarter of this year, with additional routes to be added gradually thereafter.
Currently, Klook allows reservations for several major coastal ferry routes, including Pohang to Ulleungdo, Ulleungdo to Dokdo, Wando to Jeju, and Mokpo to Jeju. According to the company, Klook is the first online travel agency in South Korea to offer a coastal ferry booking service.
Ferries are often considered a relatively inaccessible mode of transportation for foreign tourists traveling independently to domestic islands due to the need to check routes and schedules, as well as language barriers and issues with international payments.
Klook plans to integrate domestic ferry bookings into its existing system, which supports over 15 languages and more than 40 currencies and payment options. This will allow foreign tourists to book tickets in their preferred language and payment method without going through a separate domestic booking process.
Industry experts have noted that facilitating convenient transportation connections to regional destinations is a key challenge for dispersing foreign visitors, who tend to concentrate in major tourist areas like Seoul, Busan, and Jeju. Lowering the barriers to ferry bookings is expected to increase demand for individual travel to islands and coastal tourist sites, including Ulleungdo.
Lee Jun-ho, head of Klook's Korea branch, stated, “There are many travel destinations in South Korea's islands and coastal areas that we want to introduce to foreign visitors, but there have been challenges in using ferries due to language and payment constraints. Through our collaboration with the Korea Shipping Association, we aim to create a more convenient environment for using domestic coastal ferries.”
Klook has been expanding its transportation booking options aimed at foreign travelers within South Korea. The company is currently an official partner of Korea Railroad Corporation and the National Express Bus Transportation Association, offering real-time booking services for trains and express buses, as well as rental cars and airport pickups.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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