크루즈관광의 지역경제 기여효과 제고를 위한 기항지 관광프로그램의 전략적 개발 필요성

Necessity for Strategic Development of Excursion Program to Enhance the Regional Economic Impact of Cruise Tourism

Globally, cruise tourism is the fastest-growing tourism industry, with an average annual growth rate of 5.4% over the past ten years. Expected the number of Chinese tourists entering Korea will increase as the Northeast Asian region is included in the navigation routes of significant cruise ships due to the demand of Chinese tourists after 2010. However, due to the diplomatic conflict between Korea and China and the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of Chinese tourists has drastically decreased, so it was considered that it is necessary to seek alternatives to attract new cruise tourists. As the value of the amount spent by cruise tourists and crew members at the port of call proved to contribute to the local economy, the purpose of this study is to discuss the necessity to develop a more competitive and strategic tourism programs at the port-of-call and nearby area. Accordingly, by examining the cases of port-of-call excursions in southern France, which have similar natural and socio-economic conditions to the Busan region of Korea, the economic potential and possibility of cruise tourism are identified, and policy implications are derived accordingly.