We worked together for three years when you were the director of the Korea Tourism office in London . How has interest in Seoul as a MICE destination changed ?

Seoul has been promoting itself as an attractive MICE destination and has been working with major industry associations to get its name out there on the global market . Seoul Tourism Organisation ( STO ) co-hosted the UIA Associations Asia-Pacific Round Table 2020 on the Virtual Seoul platform last September to great success .

STO also participated in the first hybrid ICCA Congress as one of six Hub cities in November 2020 and won ICCA ’ s special edition Best Marketing Award with four others .

It ’ s hard not to mention the honorary Tourism Ambassador BTS ( K-Pop music band ) who have been promoting Seoul to the world for several years now .

Seoul and , of course Korea , has been making global headlines during the Covid pandemic for the way we have shown best practice in terms of safety measures for controlling the coronavirus infection . This could well lead to heightened interest in the destination in the near future as a leisure , business and MICE destination .

Advanced Technology has always played a key part in advancing Seoul ( and Korea ’ s ) MICE aspirations , such as guide robots and 3D mapping at Incheon Airport . What new ‘ techno-initiatives ’ may impress meeting planners ?

The fundamentals for hosting on-site events are based on reduced-contact , such as providing QR code registration processes and adding a health condition questionnaire for delegates before attendees enter the site .

Most of our hosted events now have face-detecting tablets at entrances for checking temperatures remotely , while automatically keeping count of the number of participants entering . And nano-disinfecting gates provide air showers to combat any harmful substances that may be carried on participants when entering .

In terms of online advancements , we are seeing exciting gamification , easy customisation using pre-constructed platforms , and virtual events developed with bespoke functionality .

Such technical developments are certainly preparing Seoul ’ s MICE industry for the coming years . STO came up with innovative solutions for destination marketing during these challenging times , creating the ‘ Virtual Seoul ’ meeting platform , which was designed to reflect the destination and all the attractions it holds as a MICE destination . This is a pioneering solution that gives the city a solid option for event planners who would like to have their events in Seoul whether they be online , on-site , or maybe both .

STO won the Best Marketing Award at the ICCA Congress 2020 for its ‘ Sustainable Energy of Seoul ’ campaign . Does this reflect a longer campaign to position Seoul as a ‘ Bleisure ’ destination ?

* Headline reference , Map of the Soul : 7 , an album by K-pop band BTS

Below : Seoul skyline

in the world , but we didn ’ t give up on the over-arching framework we have established for the marketing and promoting of Seoul as an attractive Bleisure destination .

We produced 360 VR videos in a ‘ first-person ’ point-of-view to present content as if the viewer was actually experiencing the activity . Aside from the content promoting the city , we broadcast clips showing how Seoul ’ s MICE industry implemented safety measures at various places and shared it through social channels .

This year also showed us just how valuable is our Seoul MICE Alliance partnership . There is a real ‘ energy ’ in collective actions . I think our efforts were recognised by ICCA .

Seoul has always been a destination that mixes heritage with modernity , so in terms of incentive experiences , which are the ones you think stand-out and appeal most to an international market ?

Seoul is a city culturally rich in terms of providing venues and / or teambuilding programmes to reflect its traditional culture as well as recent pop-culture . The five palaces at the centre of the city and Fortress Wall that surrounds the

Regarding the MICE industry , we can see two main strands , firstly , for online / virtual events and , secondly , for hosting on-site events with strict safety and security measures and protocols .

We believe the award positions Seoul as a Bleisure destination but also recognises our response to Covid-19 .

Seoul , of course , faced and faces challenging times just like any other city