Busan is good

Busan Successfully Establishes Semi-Homeport Operations… Taking Its First Step Toward Becoming an “International Cruise Homeport City”

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) and the Busan Port Authority (President Song Sang-geun) announced that, through the semi-homeport operations of the MSC Bellissima at the Yeongdo International Cruise Terminal in October and November, they successfully processed more than 300 embarking and disembarking passengers and firmly established the “Busan Semi-Homeport Operation System.”

Semi-homeport: A hybrid operation model in which some passengers embark and disembark at a port of call, combining the functions of a homeport—where cruises begin and end—with those of a traditional stopover port used solely for sightseeing.

The MSC Bellissima is a mega cruise ship with a gross tonnage of 170,000 and a capacity of 5,600 passengers.
On October 22 (100 embarking / 100 disembarking passengers) and November 15 (200 embarking / 200 disembarking passengers), all passengers completed embarkation and disembarkation swiftly and smoothly.

The city anticipates that semi-homeport operations will extend tourist stay duration and generate positive economic impacts for the local economy. It also views these developments as a significant first step toward establishing Busan as an international cruise homeport city.

Until now, the MSC Bellissima has operated with Tokyo, Japan as its homeport, sourcing passengers locally in Japan and treating Busan solely as a port of call.
This year, however, Busan Metropolitan City and the Busan Port Authority proactively identified early booking trends and supported local passenger marketing efforts, thereby realizing semi-homeport functionality—regarded as a key contributor to this achievement.

Industry stakeholders offered favorable reactions, noting that “it is meaningful that Busan has gone beyond being a passive port of call to actively fulfilling passenger demand as a semi-homeport.”

Meanwhile, various efforts—from developing new tourism content to improving visitor readiness and enhancing entry/exit convenience—positively contributed to demonstrating Busan’s competence in cruise operations.

[Busan Metropolitan City] hosted events linked with local traditional markets for visiting passengers to expand tourism content and boost local commercial activity. The city also operated shuttle buses and provided tourist information services to create a comfortable environment for visitors.

[Busan Port Authority] reorganized the CIQ* area at the Yeongdo International Cruise Terminal in July to streamline embarkation and disembarkation procedures for large cruise ships, and supported onboard departure security inspections.

CIQ: Customs, Immigration, Quarantine.

[Busan Metropolitan City & Busan Port Authority] also improved convenience and processing speed for arriving passengers through onboard immigration inspections**, supported by the Korea Immigration Service.

Onboard immigration inspection: Immigration officers board the ship at the previous port to complete immigration checks during the voyage to Korea, allowing passengers to disembark quickly upon arrival.

MSC Cruises reported that “the strong performance of this year’s semi-homeport operations in Busan and high passenger satisfaction are contributing to strong ticket sales for next year’s semi-homeport itineraries,” adding that it plans to expand semi-homeport operations in Busan next year.

The MSC Bellissima, operating with Japan as its homeport, is scheduled for three sailings next year (March, May, and September), all incorporating semi-homeport operations.

To build on this momentum, Busan Metropolitan City has invited MSC Cruises Japan as an overseas buyer to the “2025 5th Busan International Travel Mart,” which will be held from November 23 to 26.

Meanwhile, approximately 210 cruise ship calls and more than 300,000 visitors* are expected at the Port of Busan by the end of this year, and more than 250 cruise calls are anticipated next year.

Visitors include tourists and crew arriving through the Port of Busan.

This represents an approximately 84 percent increase compared to the 114 cruise calls in 2024 and exceeds the previous record of 209 calls in 2016—the highest figure to date.

In December, Busan Metropolitan City, the Busan Port Authority, and the Busan Tourism Organization will conduct promotional marketing activities targeting major Japanese cruise lines and travel agencies to further expand cruise calls and sustain the current surge in cruise arrivals.

Busan Port Authority President Song Sang-geun stated, “The success of Busan’s semi-homeport operations is the result of trust built with global cruise lines, on-site collaboration with CIQ agencies, and the Port Authority’s proactive marketing efforts,” adding that the organization will continue to strengthen customized marketing and support for global cruise lines.

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “As Busan welcomes 3 million foreign tourists this year, semi-homeport operations support this growth and serve as an essential stepping stone for Busan to become Asia’s leading cruise tourism city. We will not remain merely a stopover port, but build a ‘city where visitors want to stay and return,’ ensuring Busan firmly establishes itself as a global center for cruise tourism.”