Over 2,000 Chinese tourists arrived in Yeosu aboard a large cruise ship to visit the World Island Expo as it approaches its conclusion. The day before, American cruise passengers and crew also visited the expo, enhancing its significance as an international event linked to overseas cruise tourism.
The organizing committee for the 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo announced on October 30 that more than 2,000 tourists from the Chinese cruise line Adora Cruises visited the expo after docking at Yeosu Port aboard the Adora Mediterranea.
On this day, the Chinese tourists traveled to the expo site in over 50 buses, where they explored key exhibition facilities, including the theme island and the international exchange island.
The Adora Mediterranea is an 85,000-ton cruise ship carrying approximately 2,400 passengers and 1,200 crew members, totaling around 3,600 people. It departed from Qingdao, China, and arrived at Yeosu Port on the morning of October 30.
After completing its stop in Yeosu, the cruise is scheduled to head to Xiamen, China, later that afternoon.
This visit was organized by a local Chinese travel agency that created a tour package including a visit to the Yeosu World Island Expo, attracting group tourists.
Notably, most cruise passengers participated in the expo visit, demonstrating the potential for attracting international cruise tourists and linking them with local tourism resources.
To facilitate the large influx of Chinese tourists, Yeosu City deployed 29 interpreters of Chinese descent at the expo site and operated transportation guidance personnel.
This effort aimed to reduce language and mobility barriers for foreign tourists, allowing them to enjoy the main exhibition content of the expo.
On October 29, the Westerdam cruise ship from Holland America Line arrived at Yeosu Port with over 2,300 tourists.
Yeosu City provided free shuttle buses and tourist information centers for cruise passengers, with 321 passengers participating in group visits to the expo.
Additionally, 38 crew members joined a familiarization tour that included visiting the expo and exploring Yeosu's tourism resources and expo content.
The consecutive arrival of international cruises over two days signifies the expo's role in promoting Yeosu to both domestic and foreign tourists.
However, to ensure that such visits lead to sustained foreign tourist attraction, it is essential to connect cruise itineraries with local tourism products and consistently improve multilingual guidance and transportation convenience.
Kim Jong-ki, Secretary General of the 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo Organizing Committee, stated, "The arrival of cruise tourists from across the sea to the island expo illustrates the event's significance in connecting islands and the sea. We will continue to prepare meticulously so that all visitors can comfortably experience the value of the islands until the end of the expo."
Meanwhile, the 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo is entering its final events ahead of its closure on November 4. On October 30, the main venue hosted the 'Island Island Makgeolli Festa' and a large-scale special exhibition of seafood from Jeonnam and Gwangju, with various programs continuing on October 31, including the 'Island Carnival.'
* This article has been translated by AI.
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