Destination report
Korea turns on the tech turbo as
CVBs step up their support
KOREA OFFERS MORE SUBVENTION FUNDING AND TECHNOLOGY
SUPPORT AS IT EYES NEW NORMAL FOR MICE. CMW REPORTS
outh Korea has won many
plaudits for its response to
the global Covid-19 crisis.
One of the first countries
outside of China to report cases of the
disease, South Korea has been more active
than most in harnessing its high
technology capabilities to track the spread
of the virus and its reported cases have
been relatively low – around 250 deaths
on just over 10,000 cases by the end of
April.
It is not surprising that the country is
also in the vanguard of planning for the
economic re-emergence post-Covid-19
and rallying its destinations to work with
government closely in offering some
additional subvention enhancements for
meeting planners.
The country has pivoted to virtual/
digital/video methods of destination
marketing quickly (it has the fastest
average Internet speeds in the world) and
its hotels have generally remained open
albeit with some reduction to service/
entrances for public access.
International events were run as
recently as late February, and in Seoul, the
Coex convention centre is an example to
follow for best practice in cleaning
processes - twice-a-day in exhibition halls
and meeting spaces, with extra medical
and security staff drafted on site, thermal
cameras installed and air purification
carried out every 15 minutes. Hand
sanitisers have been placed at all entrances
to each room.
Of course, Koreans have lived through
the difficult times of SARS and MERS
since 2000. Those episodes mean there is
a deep level of experience for local
professionals to draw on.
Mr Sangmin Lee, Director of the
London Office of the Korea Tourism
Organisation comments:
“Korea has demonstrated that it was
not only prepared, we also took the lead to
reduce the impact on its citizens, and
share important information with the
world, during the Covid-19 outbreak.
KTO and the KMB have worked hard to
support the MICE industry.
“We have, as a national industry, joined
forces to think about how we can support
visitors and the MICE industry when we
have a chance to move again, and worked
as a nation to provide new initiatives
based on popular past requests, thus
Above: Sangmin
Lee, Director of the
London Office of
the Korea Tourism
Organisation
Left: Gamcheon
Culture Village,
Busan
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CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD
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ISSUE 106
offering more reasons to come to Korea.”
Once international travel restrictions
can be lifted Korea should be able to get
back to a near/new normal quicker than
most.
Neither have the country’s property
developers and hospitality leaders been
sitting on their hands: a slew of new hotels
are coming online.
In the port city of Busan, the New
Lotte Signiel will add 260 rooms and a
Grand Ballroom able to host 990 guests,
while the Novotel Ambassador Busan,
converted into a five-star, is reopening
with 300 rooms later this year.
And, although Finnair has had to delay
the opening of its new direct route to
Busan, it is still hoping to get clearance for
take off later in the year.
Over at Kintex, the country’s largest
exhibition and convention centre is being
extended and once the express train line
opens from 2023 it will offer journey
times to Seoul in just 20 minutes.
So, what of the new support initiatives
available for international planners
considering Korea for their conferences?
The KoreaMICE Bureau, which sits
under the Korean Tourism Organisation
(KTO), has broadened its support
programmes for qualifying events, as have
regional CVBs.
Planners are urged to take advantage of
the additional subvention and special
services.
In the capital, Seoul CVB has reduced
the initial number of conference and event
delegate pax required to qualify for
support, while Busan is offering funds to
help with cancellation fees as well as
support for digital/virtual meetings, and
offering ‘hygiene packs’ for delegates.
KTO has also increased the available
subsidy by 1.5 times for small groups