Japanese arrivals are up. This month alone, three cruise ships from Japan resumed stops in Jeju, bringing in some 3-thousand Japanese tourists. It’s good news for the tourism industry. Joseph Kim has more.


The Japanese cruise ship, Nippon Maru, has resumed its tours to Jeju.

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Nippon Maru arrives for first time in 2 years

For the first time since 2013, the cruise line docked in Jeju, bringing with it a large group of Japanese tourists.

Interview
Hata Kiyomi / Tourist
I’m here with my son and daughter-in-law to celebrate my birthday. I’m very excited even though I’m worried about the weather.
<인터뷰 : 핫타키요미/크루즈 관광객>
생일을 기념해 아들 부부와 여행을 와서 기대돼요.
날씨가 걱정이지만 기대됩니다.

During their short stay in Jeju, they visit world heritage sites, go to the beach and do some sightseeing in the city.

Interview
Kanamori Moeri / Tourist
I came here because I heard Jeju is the “Hawaii of Korea” and the weather is nice. I also heard Jeju has great resorts.
<인터뷰 : 카나모리 모에리/크루즈 관광객>
제주도가 한국의 하와이라는 이미지가 있고
날씨도 따뜻하고 리조트 시설이 잘 돼 있어서 왔어요.

320 Japanese tourists arrived on this one cruise ship.

Earlier this month, on the 8th, another cruise ship - the Diamond Princess - brought over 2-thousand-6-hundred Japanese tourists to Jeju.

Altogether, more than 3-thousand tourists from Japan have visited Jeju so far this month.

The resumption of Japanese cruise tours to Jeju is good news to the local tourism industry, as Japanese tourists were hard to find here until recently, due to the weak yen and MERS outbreak.

[camera]
Hyeon Gwang-hoon

Japanese cruise ships like the Nippon Maru are expected to bring more tourists from Japan to Jeju in the months to come.

[reporter]
Joseph Kim

So far this year, 13-thousand Japanese tourists have visited Jeju and hopes are high for the upward trend to continue.

Joseph Kim KCTV