S. KOREA-JAPAN SEA TOURISM REVIVED

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Passenger ships between Korea and Japan which were suspended dud to the COVID-19 pandemic have resumed in 3 years. With the demand for travelling to South Korea surging, Japan is also exerting all-out efforts to direct travelling passengers to the sea, just as much as South Korea's port city Busan. Local Japanese travel agencies are even developing customized cruise packages to South Korea.

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South Korean travelers are commonly seen at popular Japanese tourist spots such as Osaka Castle and Dotonbori lately.

[Soundbite] Bae Jong-hun(S. Korean Traveler) : "It's a country with a long history and I enjoy natural scenery that you cannot see in Korea. Also, people are nice and the food is delicious."

Japan has belatedly relaxed its entry procedures which had been substantially toughened during the pandemic. Consequently, the number of Koreans traveling to Japan has noticeably increased since some three months ago.

[Soundbite] Mizohata(Osaka City Gov't, Japan) : "About 200,000 Koreans are expected to visit Osaka this year. I believe it's a first step toward a tourism revival."

Japan is directing the overflowing demand for flights to Korea toward passenger ships. Local Japanese travel agencies are developing customized cruise packages as older people generally prefer to travel by ship.

[Soundbite] Hirasawa(Japanese Travel Agency Official) : "We sell painstakingly-designed packages. We want to sell more attractive products to our customers."

Cruise travel may also resume shortly. Last month, the Japanese cruise ship association set up guidelines and started discussion with cruise ship companies.

[Soundbite] Kenji Akita(Director, Osaka Port Authority) : "We are readying for cruise ship entry after next March. We plan to finish the preparation for ship operation including quarantine by then."

Korean passenger ship companies are responding accordingly to resume sea tourism. They not only plan to increase the number of passenger ferries currently in operation but are also reviewing a plan to introduce cruise ships.

[Soundbite] Kim Bo-jung(Executive, PanStar Line) : "The crown of ship operation is cruise liner. We are trying to operate cruise programs with new ships."

The removal of arrival restrictions after three years is rejuvenating the Korean and Japanese sea tourism markets.