Incheon Port Authority pushes to revitalize Korea-China car ferry routes with experiential content, service upgrades

The Incheon Port Authority (IPA) is moving to improve customer service and expand experiential content to revitalize the Korea-China car ferry passenger market.

The strategy targets younger travelers and Free Independent Travel (FIT) passengers in line with shifting travel trends.

IPA announced Thursday that it will launch online-based experiential content and customer engagement programs in the second half of the year, in cooperation with car ferry operators.

The Korea-China travel market has been shifting away from group tours toward independent travel, and a culture of sharing travel experiences through SNS and short-form video is spreading rapidly.

In response, IPA and the ferry operators plan to strengthen online viral marketing to generate new demand and grow the number of car ferry passengers.

Key initiatives include setting up photo zones on board ships, running SNS-linked events, operating a car ferry content creator program, collecting customer feedback through QR code-based voice-of-customer (VOC) terminals with ongoing service monitoring, and providing shuttle bus announcements in both Korean and Chinese.

IPA expects that as passenger-created travel content spreads online, it will create a virtuous cycle drawing in new demand — particularly among the MZ generation and FIT travelers.

"We will continue to improve customer service together with the ferry operators so that more people can enjoy car ferry travel easily and comfortably, and we will expand experience-driven marketing," IPA President Lee Gyeong-gyu said. "We will pursue a range of projects to vitalize Korea-China car ferry services and foster a new travel culture."