Cruise tourists at Busan Port are now enjoying extended nighttime stays.
The Busan Port Authority (BPA) announced that it has completed operations for a total of eight overnight cruise calls this year, concluding with the arrival of the Azamara Pursuit on September 24.
Of the 5,901 passengers who arrived, approximately 25%, or 1,470 people, stayed in the city until after 10 p.m. to enjoy nighttime sightseeing.
Previously, even when cruise ships docked at Busan Port, passengers were unable to go out at night due to the closure of customs, immigration, and quarantine (CIQ) offices. While there were overnight calls in 2024 and 2025, they were largely limited to the ships being docked without allowing passenger excursions.
This year, BPA collaborated with CIQ agencies to extend operating hours on overnight call days, allowing for nighttime tourism. This initiative opened the door for global luxury cruise lines, including Norwegian Cruise Line's Regatta, Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, Ponant, Seabourn, The World, and Azamara.
Notably, on September 18, the North Port Cruise Terminal hosted both The World, with 175 passengers on a two-night, three-day itinerary, and the Diamond Princess, with 2,861 passengers on a one-night, two-day itinerary. Of the 3,036 passengers from both ships, about 470 participated in nighttime tours, with the last passenger returning to the ship at 1:30 a.m. the following day.
Considering that the average stay for regular cruise calls in Busan is around eight hours (ranging from four to twelve hours), overnight calls are expected to maximize the economic impact of tourism in the region.
However, transitioning the terminal to a 24-hour operational system remains a challenge. Currently, CIQ operations are extended only on days requested by shipping companies due to staffing issues.
A BPA official stated, “A 24-hour operation would require staffing levels that are currently not feasible.”
BPA plans to increase overnight cruise calls to more than 20 annually by 2030. In 2027, around ten calls are expected, primarily from luxury lines such as Azamara, Ponant, Ritz-Carlton, and Silversea.
This targeted marketing strategy focusing on luxury small ships aligns with the 'homeport development strategy.' The plan is to establish a foundation for homeport operations starting with smaller premium vessels, then gradually expanding to larger ships through sub-homeporting.
The most urgent infrastructure need is the construction of a dedicated cruise terminal. BPA's cruise-related revenue (dockage and port fees) is projected to increase from approximately 3 billion won in previous years to about 5 billion won this year, but 20 billion won will be spent on facility improvements this year and next.
BPA has requested that the construction of a dedicated terminal, which would cost several billion won, be pursued as a national infrastructure project by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, but a decision has yet to be made.
BPA President Song Sang-geun stated, “The success of this year’s eight overnight cruise calls was driven by the active cooperation of CIQ agencies. Based on this collaborative framework, we aim to develop overnight calls into sub-homeport and homeport operations to enhance the competitiveness of Busan Port's cruise industry.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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