12 cruise ships set sail for Incheon in March, helping the city’s overseas tourism industry recover faster
The Incheon Metropolitan City Government and Incheon Tourism Organization are working together to develop intriguing new tourism products aimed at travelers either transiting through Incheon or sailing into the City on cruise liners.
The strategy is to target the rapidly recovering market for inbound international travelers arriving in Incheon, promote some of the City’s major tourism resources, and prepare for future travelers by raising awareness of Incheon as a travel destination.
Starting on March 19, a dozen cruise liners carrying 18,100 passengers are scheduled to arrive in Incheon, and major international airlines have announced their flight plans for this upcoming summer, which could reach upwards of 70% of pre-pandemic levels. Prospects of a major infusion of international travelers to Incheon are driving the inbound tourism market forward to a full recovery.
▲ The Incheon Metropolitan City Government and Incheon Tourism Organization are working together to develop intriguing new tourism products aimed at travelers transiting through Incheon or sailing into the City on cruise liners. Starting on March 19, a dozen cruise liners carrying 18,100 passengers are scheduled to arrive in Incheon, and major international airlines have announced their flight plans for this upcoming summer, which could reach upwards of 70% of pre-pandemic levels. Prospects of a major infusion of international travelers to Incheon are driving the inbound tourism market forward to a full recovery.
Tourism in ports of call and transit cities, i.e. not the final destination for travelers, are often hamstrung by the fact that most travelers have only a few hours to spend in the city. Naturally, its share of the overall tourism market could seem rather unimpressive. Yet, it could have a massive impact in the future demand for tourism.
In fact, analysis suggests that the ports of departure and ports of call are among the most important things travelers look at when choosing cruise packages.
Incheon developing tourism products with a wide range of time limits and themes... The City is also upgrading the support it offers to individual travelers and offering incentives to travel agencies specializing in cruise packages
To make sure it has the right products for the upcoming surge of inbound cruise liners, which the City has not seen over the past three years and five months, Incheon developed a wide variety of intriguing products. Cruise liners often anchor at a port for between four and eight hours. Incheon has developed a variety of tourism products featuring trips to the City’s historical landmarks, the best spots to enjoy the city skyline in the evening, and its international districts to suit the preferences of travelers sailing in on different cruise liners.
▲ Starting on March 19, a dozen cruise liners carrying 18,100 passengers are scheduled to arrive in Incheon, and major international airlines have announced their flight plans for this upcoming summer, which could reach upwards of 70% of pre-pandemic levels. Prospects of a major infusion of international travelers to Incheon are driving the inbound tourism market forward to a full recovery. The image is a picture of the MS Wester dam owned by Holland America in 2019.
The plan is to give travelers a wider range of options to choose from and help inbound tourists immerse themselves in all the City has to offer, thereby keeping tourists from leaving the city on a quick turn-around. Going forward, Incheon is also hoping to get a chance to become a home port itself for a major cruise liner by establishing it as a leading port city.
Available tourism programs for transiting travelers or cruise liner passengers include:
4-hour program: Travel to the Memorial Hall for Incheon Landing Operation, Incheon Open Port Modern Architecture Museum, Wolmi Park, Wolmi Sea Train, and Chinatown to get a glimpse of Korea's modern history;
5-hour program: Includes a tour of Songdo Central Park and Solchan Park, both considered among the best places to enjoy Incheon’s city skyline in the evening;
6-hour program: Travel to Incheon’s fish market, the Incheon Urban History Museum, and G-Tower observation deck to see the different sides of Incheon;
8-hour program: Travel to the main tourist attractions on Ganghwa-do Island, which is often called a “living museum,” Ganghwa Peace Observatory, Yongheung Palace, Ganghwa Anglican Church, Joyang Textile Café, and Flea Market.
Incheon is also ready to make sure each individual traveler gets the help they need throughout their stay inside the City. In addition to providing travelers with information on key tourist attractions across the City, Incheon plans to operate regular bus services to shuttle travelers to and from tourist destinations and hand out shopping coupons to stimulate spending in the local economy.
Moreover, the City is looking to provide a much more diverse platter of things to see and enjoy, including traditional bands, Pungmulnori performances, zones dedicated to traditional programs, and photo spots, to lure more passengers off their cruise liners and into the City. Another incentive for travel agencies specializing in cruise packages will be subsidies for transportation options that could induce them to invite more cruise passengers to disembark when they arrive in Incheon.
Incheon is hoping to get a firm hold of inbound travelers as international travel recovers to pre-pandemic levels
The City wants to feature local festivals in its programs to diversify its products... Ready to promote tourism products aggressively via global tourism and travel platforms
With the global tourism industry, which had been hit hard by COVID-19, getting back on its feet in January of this year, Incheon has been busy trying to attract the attention of travelers transiting through the City.
The City now has 14 paid transfer products, including six same-day products and eight overnight products, which got a much-needed makeover last year to give stop-over travelers a reason to stay longer. These products are available onk-stopover.com, an official website dedicated to transiting travelers operated by the Incheon International Airport Corporation.
Same-day products include trips to Yeongjongdo Yonggungsa Temple, Songdo Central Park Tribowl, Yeongjongdo Yedanpo Dullegil Trail and Sky Garden, Hyundai Premium Outlet Triple Street, Sinpo Market and Hanji Craft Program, Jeondeungsa Temple, Deokjinjin, etc., on Ganghwado Island, while overnight products feature other immersive activities, shopping, or history tours (eight options) with accommodation options in the Open Port district, Songdo, or other districts across the City.
▲ Image from the arrival ceremony for Celebrity Millennium on March 25, 2018.
This year, Incheon plans to further expand its products for transiting travelers using new content from local festivals, including the INK Concert, Songdo World Cultural Tourism Festival, and Gaehangjang Night Trip, in addition to a myriad of resorts available in the City.
Starting from the first half of the year, the City will pull its full weight behind activities to raise awareness of Incheon as a destination for transiting travelers, as well as campaigns and promotional offers to welcome transiting passengers.
Also, with local marketing in major target markets where most of the travelers transiting through Incheon come from, and by collaborating with airlines often used by transiting travelers (e.g. Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, and Delta Air Lines), the City will advertise its signature tourist attractions, landmarks, and content on airline websites and in-flight magazines. Meanwhile, the k-stopover.com website will be interfaced with global travel platforms to give Incheon a better chance to engage with potential travelers.
Aside from these efforts, the City will set up a booth promoting tourism products where transiting travelers disembark from their planes, and offer discount coupons for traditional markets, shopping outlets, and stores near hotels often used by transiting passengers.
The Metropolitan City Government and Incheon Tourism Organization are both hoping to attract 50% of the total number of cruise liner passengers arriving in Incheon this year, and another 50% of all passengers transiting through Incheon.
