Cruise Destination?
Costa Cruise is mulling over introducing a cruise ship with Busan Port as its home port. It also said that it could make a joint investment in the first Korean cruise line to be launched late this year.
Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Yoo Ki-joon told the news on May 21 while on the Italian cruise ship Costa Serena departing from Shanghai. The on-board press conference was to give a briefing on the cruise ship business meeting in Shanghai that the minister participated in on May 20.
It is said that the minister met with Helen Hwang, head of the Asia office of Costa Cruise, and asked for the joint investment, receiving a positive response. It is assumed that 51 percent of the shares will be owned by the Korean company while the rest will be invested in kind by Costa Cruise.
The ministry also remarked that Costa Cruise was highly positive about a new sea route having a Korean port as its home port. At the business meeting in Shanghai, the Italian company signed a memorandum of understanding with five local governments in Korea – Jeju Special Self-governing Province, Busan City, South Jeolla Province, Kangwon Province, and Incheon City – to call at Korean ports.
“Costa Cruise becoming a foreign cruise line which home port is located in Korea can encourage Korean companies to do cruise businesses,” the minister explained.