Cruise ship brings 2,700 Chinese tourists to Incheon as Korea begins visa-free entry

The port of Incheon on Monday welcomed more than 2,700 passengers and crew from a Chinese cruise ship as Korea launched a temporary visa-free scheme to revive its tourism sector. The 77,000-ton "MS Dream," operated by Tianjin Orient International Cruise Line, departed Tianjin on Saturday and docked in Incheon, 30 kilometers west of Seoul, early Monday with 2,189 passengers and 563 crew on board. The vessel will return to China after a one-day stop, completing a five-day voyage. Seoul announced earlier this month that it would waive visa requirements for Chinese group tourists for a nine-month period, from Sept. 29 to June 30, as part of broader efforts to lure more foreign visitors. Groups of three or more Chinese nationals may now enter Korea without visas for stays of up to 15 days. Passengers waved and took photos as they stepped off the cruise ship in Incheon, where local residents gathered to greet them. Tour operators guided dozens of buses lined up to ferry the visitors into the city. "The ship was packed maybe because the no-visa policy has just begun and the cruise line is celebWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times