Keelung Cruise Traffic Surges From Historic Lows as Taipei Emerges With a Stronger Tourism Gateway in 2026

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Keelung cruise traffic surges from historic lows as Taipei emerges with a stronger tourism gateway in 2026. Keelung cruise traffic surges from historic lows because passenger movements jumped from just 487 in 2022 to a record 993,020 in 2025. Meanwhile, Taipei emerges with a stronger tourism gateway in 2026 as another 672,425 international cruise movements were recorded through July. Japan leads foreign markets, while the US, South Korea and Germany add global demand. New ships, more cruise calls and port upgrades are supporting the recovery. Therefore, Keelung increasingly opens Taipei to international travellers arriving by sea for cultural experiences.

Keelung Cruise Passenger Growth Shows a Dramatic Recovery

Keelung’s cruise passenger data show a dramatic recovery from the pandemic-era collapse. International cruise movements fell from 946,372 in 2019 to only 487 in 2022, before rebounding to 288,019 in 2023 and 786,840 in 2024. The recovery reached a new milestone in 2025, when Keelung recorded a record 993,020 international cruise passenger movements, up 26.2% year on year and above the 2019 benchmark. Momentum has continued in 2026, with 672,425 movements recorded between January and July. July alone contributed 149,288, the strongest monthly result through the first seven months. However, the 2026 total remains a partial-year figure and should not be directly compared with the full-year 2025 record.

July Leads Keelung’s 2026 Cruise Traffic

The monthly figures show that growth is not concentrated entirely within one short period.

July was the strongest month through the first seven months, followed by April. March and June also exceeded 100,000 international cruise passenger movements.

The difference between the 672,425 international cruise figure and 765,205 total passenger movements reflects additional domestic passenger activity recorded by the port.

2025 Set a New Benchmark for Keelung

The record 2025 performance provides the clearest benchmark for understanding 2026.

TIPC recorded 219 cruise calls and approximately 993,000 international cruise passenger movements during the year.

That was 26.2% higher than approximately 787,000 in 2024 and also exceeded the previous 2019 record.

Foreign cruise passengers reached another record at 376,000, rising 41.3% from 266,000 in 2024.

Fly-cruise tourism also strengthened. Keelung recorded 61,000 foreign fly-cruise passengers, surpassing the previous record of 38,000 established in 2018.

This matters for Taipei because fly-cruise passengers combine aviation and cruising and can potentially spend additional time in northern Taiwan before or after their voyage.

Japan Leads Keelung’s Foreign Cruise Markets

Official nationality data reveal a geographically diverse foreign passenger base.

Japan accounted for almost one-third of identified foreign cruise passengers, twice the US share.

South Korea produced the most striking shift. Its share increased from 2.9% in 2024 to 11.4% in 2025.

TIPC linked this growth partly to seven Costa Cruises charter sailings between Keelung and Korea, which carried approximately 31,000 Korean passengers.

The figures show that Keelung’s international cruise economy extends beyond nearby Japan and Korea. The United States represents 16%, while Germany provides a notable European component.

Three Cruise Operators Account for Most Activity

Cruise-line activity was concentrated heavily among three operators in 2025.

StarCruises recorded 79 calls and approximately 312,000 passenger movements.

MSC Cruises made 30 calls and generated about 229,000 passengers, while Costa Cruises recorded 42 calls and approximately 229,000 passengers.

Together, the three accounted for more than 81.6% of Keelung’s cruise market activity.

TIPC said StarCruises and MSC Cruises planned to increase their Keelung calls in 2026, giving the port additional capacity to maintain its recent momentum.

New Ships Are Broadening Keelung’s Cruise Market

Keelung’s growth is not limited to passenger numbers.

The port welcomed 19 maiden cruise-ship visits during 2025. Scenic Cruises, Mitsui Ocean Cruises, Duwon Cruise & Ferry and Villa Vie made their first Taiwan calls.

Villa Vie Odyssey also spent four days at Keelung, setting the country’s longest multiday cruise-ship stay.

New arrivals continued in 2026 when AIDA Cruises’ AIDAdiva made its maiden Keelung visit carrying 1,977 passengers.

Such calls broaden the mix of cruise products available to international travellers and increase Keelung’s exposure to different source markets.

Keelung Is Becoming a Gateway to Taipei Experiences

The strongest tourism implication is what happens after passengers leave the ship.

TIPC used AIDAdiva’s visit to develop a cruise-and-cycling programme connecting Keelung with Taipei by rail and bicycle.

The itinerary connected passengers with attractions including Lin An Tai Historical House, the Grand Hotel, Martyrs’ Shrine, Ching-Kuo Chi-Hai Cultural Park, Dalongdong Bao’an Temple and Taipei Confucius Temple.

This demonstrates how Keelung can function as more than a maritime arrival point. Cruise traffic can feed directly into Taipei’s cultural tourism economy.

Infrastructure Is Changing With Passenger Growth

Keelung is also preparing its passenger facilities for greater traffic.

TIPC plans to add four immigration e-gates at the West Passenger Terminal during 2026, increasing the total from four to eight.

A high-voltage shore-power system at East Wharf No. 4 is also scheduled for completion in 2026, allowing compatible ships to use shoreside electricity while berthed.

Both projects show how physical infrastructure is being adapted alongside cruise-market growth.

Keelung’s Recovery Is Reshaping Taipei’s Maritime Tourism Story

The comparative numbers provide the clearest conclusion.

Keelung moved from 487 international cruise passenger movements in 2022 to 993,020 in 2025. By July 2026, another 672,425 had already been recorded.

At the same time, foreign passengers reached record levels, Japan remained the leading international market, South Korea expanded rapidly, and new ships continued arriving.

For travellers, the significance reaches beyond the port. Keelung increasingly provides a maritime entrance to Taipei’s temples, historic districts, cultural attractions and urban experiences.

The result is a broader tourism model in which aviation is no longer the only major international gateway into the Taipei region. Cruise travel is becoming an increasingly important second door.

Keelung cruise traffic has surged from historic lows because international cruising returned strongly after the pandemic disruption. Passenger movements climbed from only 487 in 2022 to a record 993,020 in 2025, while another 672,425 were recorded through July 2026. This growth gives Taipei a stronger tourism gateway by sea. Japan leads foreign cruise demand, followed by the United States, South Korea and Germany. New ships, additional cruise calls, immigration e-gates and port infrastructure improvements support that expansion. Most importantly, Keelung can channel arriving passengers towards Taipei’s temples, historic sites and cultural attractions, strengthening northern Taiwan’s wider visitor economy.