Some 1.38 million foreign tourists used Busan Port last year, according to Busan customs on Sunday, up 36 percent from a year earlier.

Inbound travel increased 34 percent and outbound travel 38 percent.

Some 247,000 foreign tourists made up 36 percent of all arrivals at Busan Port. Altogether 129 cruise ships carrying about 120,000 tourists docked at the port last year.

The numbers of cruise ships and their passengers more than doubled compared to 2011.