Incheon rolls out the welcome mat for Canadians
Incheon is more than just an airport destination, where international flights come and go in South Korea.
That was the message Incheon government officials emphasized during their whirlwind visit to Vancouver to promote themselves to the Canadian travel industry. Incheon officials and their host, JBC Travel, held a dinner seminar for over 40 agents at the ChiuChow Seafood Restaurant, near the city centre.
Incheon Metropolitan City’s director of Islands & Oceans Policy Division, Kim Seong Hyeon said that Incheon Port was emerging as a cruise hub and encouraged Canadians to use Incheon as a gateway to the rest of the country. In 2024, the port introduced fly and cruise services linking Incheon Port and Incheon International Airport.
Following that successful run, more than nine cruise lines will use Incheon Port either as a home port or a port of call this year. These include Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), Regent Seven Seas, Celebrity, Silversea, Royal Caribbean and Holland America. Among them, NCL has increased its Incheon homeport calls from 5 in 2024 to 15 in 2025.
Mr Choi Sung Ho, overseas marketing director for the Incheon Tourism Organization (ITO), offered a list of activities visitors could do at the destination. For travellers arriving by cruiseship, Incheon Port offers a complimentary shuttle bus service that provides convenient access to major tourist destinations within Incheon. In addition, cruise passengers at Incheon will be treated to welcome and farewell ceremonies which feature traditional music performances and cultural experiences.
From the port, visitors can check out several itineraries and attractions close by. At the Open Port Area, visitors can indulge in the famous dakgangjeong (sweet and crispy) chicken at the open-air Sinpo International Market.
Among the 168 islands around the city, Seongmodo Island features mineral hot springs, forests and coastal trails, and the Seongmodo Island Arboretum. The Arboretum is a research facility studying plants native to the Northern Limit Line (this maritime line in the Yellow Sea divides North and South Korea). It also researches marine plants in the course of global warming.
The evening also featured the tourism board signing a Letter of Intent (LOT) with Vancouver’s JBC Travel, with plans for a joint working partnership to develop and sell Incheon-related tourism products.
Marian Lee, president of JBC Travel, the organizer of the event, said that her company offers packages for touring the entire country and that Incheon had some interesting options. She plans to offer pre- and post-cruise packages in the city in the near future.
Go to www.ito.or.kr for more.
Text and photos by Beatrice Ang
