Time for another in our series of special reports on the current state and future direction of cruise tourism. Chinese visitors dominate this part of the local tourism sector, but there are problems. They have relatively short stays here and Jeju’s harbor infrastructure cannot accommodate the largest vessels. Mike Laidman has more.

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Chinese cruise travelers up 50% annually

The number of Chinese cruise tourists is growing by 50% every year, phenomenal growth for the sector.

Shanghai has many ports, some of which are the home berths for cruise ships. And this explosion in popularity means that every day there is a ship that leaves port on a cruise.

Tourism authorities on Jeju Island are eagerly awaiting the growth that Jeju’s own port should experience as it is a favourite port of call for Chinese tourists.

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Duty-free shopping main focus due to short stays

However, these tourists have a scant four hours here, so their tour schedules are focused mainly on shopping. In Fukuoka, Japan, however, where people can disembark for eight hours, only about one hour is allotted for shopping. This means differences in traveler satisfaction and the economic effect that Jeju feels from cruise tourism is relatively small.

[INTERVIEW]
Wang Younong / Shanghai Wusongkou Intl. Cruise Terminal
The Japanese route is expanding quickly. If Jeju does not meet cruise satisfaction levels, it will start to lag behind in development.
<인터뷰:왕 요우농 상해 오송구 국제크루즈터미널발전유한공사 대표>
"일본의 여행항로가 빨리 확장되고 있는데 크루즈 여행객의 만족도를 높이지 않는다면 앞으로의 발전면에서 열세에 놓이지 않을까..."

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‘Need packages for individual travelers’

Jeju needs to work with cruise home ports in China to ensure that Chinese visitors have the chance to stay longer on the island. If cruise departure times in Shanghai are changed from their current afternoon slot to the morning, Chinese travelers would have more than eight hours in Jeju.

Changes are becoming especially important as in 2017 there could be a 220,000-ton ship running. Larger harbours and bigger infrastructure are urgently needed to accommodate such ships. And experts advise that cruise tour packages should be developed for individual travelers as more and more Chinese people start to enjoy cruises.

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Im Bok-soon / China-Korea Research Inst., Nam Kyoung Univ.
When it comes to cruise packages, travelers prefer group tours now, but that will gradually change to a preference for individual packages. If ports prepare programs for individual travelers, that slice of the market should grow rapidly.
<인터뷰:임복순 남경금심대학교 중한연구소장>
"처음에는 크루즈상품에 의해서 단체여행 선호하겠지만 나중에 점진적으로 개별여행을 선호할 것이고 그러다보면 기항지 프로그램의 다양성이 준비되면 빠른 속도로 그 시장도 열릴 수 있다라고 생각합니다."

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Han Kyoung-yeop
Analysts say that cruise tourism in China is still in its infancy, so it should grow fast over the next five years.

[reporter]
Mike Laidman
And over this time, an updated Chinese cruise tour system will be established. This means Jeju tourism authorities need to come up with measures to meet the satisfaction of growing tourist numbers, as well as boost the economic effects of these tours on the island.

Mike Laidman, KCTV