Seoul, Oct 4 (IANS): Incheon Port Authority, a South Korean port operator, said in Monday that it will lift its entry ban on international cruise ships starting from March next year, more than two years after it was banned due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The South Korean government imposed an entry ban on luxury liners in February 2020 to contain the spread of the coronavirus after reports that 130 confirmed cases were found on a cruise ship quarantined off the Japanese coast near Yokohama, reports Yonhap News Agency.

Incheon Port Authority said it will allow three international cruise ships to stop at Incheon Port, about 40 km west of Seoul, next year.

MS Artania will be coming into the port in March 2022 and Hanseatic Inspiration in May, with MS Regatta slated to anchor in the port in October.

In particular, Hanseatic Inspiration plans to use Incheon Port as its home port, which means passengers of the cruise ship will start their local travel after entering South Korea via Incheon International Airport.

Since February 2020, no international cruise ships have arrived in the country's ports.