East Asian cruise tourism growth

International cruise tourism continues to expand across East Asia, with significant activity reported in South Korea and Vietnam.

In South Korea, the Korea Tourism Organization reported that 1.28 million foreign passengers and crew arrived via cruise ships during the first eight months of 2026, marking a 12% increase from the previous year. Total annual arrivals are projected to exceed 2 million, surpassing the previous record of 1.6 million. Chinese nationals represent 57.7% of these visitors, with Jeju Island’s Seogwipo port handling more than half of the total arrivals.

Vietnam is seeing growth in multiple provinces. In Quảng Ninh, the Ha Long International Passenger Terminal expects 24 international arrivals during the fourth quarter of 2026, with activity increasing from two arrivals in October to 14 in December. High-end vessels such as Viking Orion, Celebrity Millennium, and Diamond Princess are scheduled to visit, with passenger counts per cruise ranging between 600 and 3,000.

Additionally, Khánh Hòa province is positioning itself as a maritime tourism hub. The province has welcomed 38 international cruise ships so far in 2026, bringing 60,463 tourists ashore—a figure that doubles the total number of visitors for the entire year of 2025. To support this growth, the Khánh Hòa Provincial People's Committee and the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism organized the International Conference on Cruise Tourism Development to propose strategic solutions for the sector. A report by Mastercard Economics Institute ranked Nha Trang - Khánh Hòa 11th among the top 15 leading global summer tourism destinations.