![A map of the Busan Dong-gu Cruise Tourism Special Zone [Provided by Busan city government]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/07/08/news-p.v1.20260708.0abc153d7376446c9945dc00a1342ea9_P1.png)
Busan city announced Wednesday that it has finalized the designation of the "Busan Dong-gu Cruise Tourism Special Zone" — the first in the country to feature cruises as its main theme — as part of its push to become a "maritime capital" drawing 6 million foreign tourists a year.
The zone covers 1.48 square kilometers, encompassing the Busan Port International Passenger Terminal, Busan Station, Chinatown, Choryang Traditional Market, Choryang Ibagu-gil and the nationally registered cultural heritage site of Ochoryang, a Japanese-style house. It weaves together land and maritime gateway facilities with the historical and modern cultural assets of the city's original downtown.
It is Busan's first tourism special zone designation in 18 years, following Haeundae in 1994 and Yongdusan-Jagalchi in 2008. The city accepted Dong-gu's application, confirmed that legal requirements were met through an investigation and analysis by the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, and designated the area as a global tourism hub model after consulting with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
As a designated tourism special zone, the area will be eligible for a range of benefits and exemptions: loans and subsidies from the Tourism Promotion and Development Fund, central government funding, relaxed outdoor advertising standards, use of public open spaces, designation under district-unit planning, exemption from pre-sale price caps, and eased casino licensing requirements.
The Korea Culture and Tourism Institute said the designation marks a turning point that will help shed the area's image as a depopulating inner-city district and secure a tourism-driven growth engine. It projected that the local economy would grow by about 5.5 percent on the back of various support measures and special exemptions.
The zone is also expected to benefit from a boost in commercial activity following the relocation of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, while enhancing the utility of facilities planned for the landmark site at Busan's North Port, thereby accelerating the North Port redevelopment project and contributing to tourism revitalization in the original downtown area.
Mayor Jeon Jae-soo said the designation "will play a major role in attracting cruise tourists arriving by sea, as well as those coming by land and air," pledging to "build Busan into a world-class tourist city where both residents and visitors can be happy by developing diverse global tourism resources."
kaf2002@heraldcorp.com
