Along with the increased number of Chinese tourists visiting Taiwan, the country's Keelung Harbor is likewise expected to see a record number of passengers this year, harbor bureau officials said Wednesday. According to the Keelung Harbor Bureau, the number of both incoming and outgoing passengers using the port is expected to reach an all-time-high of 384,000 this year, up 28,000, or 7.8 percent, from the previous year. April Lee, vice chief of the Passenger Service Center of the Keelung Harbor Bureau, said the number of passengers next year is likely to rise above 400,000 with the arrival of more international cruise ships and Chinese tourists. The number of non-regular international cruise ships making port calls at Keelung rose from 24 to 38 in 2009, and is expected to rise to 56 next year, Lee said. The number of tourists arriving via non-regular international cruises increased to 89,000 in 2009, up 50.85 percent from 59,000 last year. Among them, Lee went on, nine cruises carrying Chinese Amway employees between March and May brought some 25,000 passengers through the port. Lee continued that Asian cruise vacations have become increasingly popular among Western tourists in recent years, with the number of tourists visiting the port from eight cruise ships owned by Princess Cruises, a world leader in cruises, have reached more than 10,000 this year. Meanwhile, the number of tourists from domestic cruiselines rose to 114,000, up 28.1 percent from the 89,000 recorded last year. Lee attributed the rise of domestic line passengers to the increased number of Chinese tourists traveling via the direct transport links between the Chinese city of Xiamen and the Taiwan-held islands of Kinmen and Matsu -- the so- called 'mini-three-links.' Meanwhile, however, as the number of regular cruise ships from the SuperStar Libra by Star Cruises decreased to 65 from 86 last year, the number of passengers has dropped 30,000 to 178,000 this year, she added. In line with its aim to become a hub for international cruise ships, the harbor will keep seeking more port calls by international cruises, the bureau said. 