Looking to vault its maritime economy into a new era of global travel, the southeastern port city of Busan announced Wednesday the designation of the nation’s first-ever special tourism zone centered primarily around cruise travel. The new "Busan Dong District Cruise Special Tourism Zone" marks the first time the city has established a new special tourism district since the designation of the Yongdusan-Jagalchi zone in 2008 and the Haeundae zone in 1994. Encompassing 1.48 square kilometers, the newly minted district establishes a contiguous global tourism corridor linking the Busan Port International Passenger Terminal to Busan Station, Chinatown, Choryang Traditional Market, Choryang Ibagu-gil and the nationally registered cultural heritage site O-Choryang (a historic Japanese-style house). The designation follows rigorous data analysis by the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute and close consultations with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to ensure all statutory requirements were met. Under the Special Tourism Zone framework, the district will immediately benefit from a w