'First Metropolitan Tourism and MICE Forum Held... Incheon-Seoul Sign MICE Joint Marketing Agreement'

On the 5th, at the Paradise Hotel in Incheon, the 1st Metropolitan Area Tourism and MICE Forum was held, where Incheon City, Incheon Tourism Organization, Seoul City, and Seoul Tourism Foundation signed a four-party agreement for 'MICE joint marketing exchange cooperation.' [Provided by Incheon City]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] The three metropolitan governments of Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi in the Seoul Capital Area are joining forces to develop the tourism and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions) industries.

On the 5th, Incheon City announced that it held the 1st Seoul Capital Area Tourism and MICE Forum jointly with Seoul City and Gyeonggi Province at the Incheon Paradise Hotel.

This forum was expanded into a Seoul Capital Area forum after Incheon City, which has been operating the Incheon Tourism and MICE Forum since 2019, proposed participation to Seoul City and Gyeonggi Province.

At the forum, Choi Kyung-eun, Head of Tourism Policy Research at the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, gave a presentation on "The Importance of Seoul Capital Area Cooperation in the New Tourism Era," and Jo Deok-hyun, Regional Cooperation Officer at the Korea Tourism Organization, spoke on "Joint Seoul Capital Area Response Strategies for Attracting Mega Events."

Following this, an expert panel discussion reviewed tourism market trends and changes in tourism trends after COVID-19, highlighting the importance and direction of tourism cooperation in the Seoul Capital Area during the recovery and advancement of the tourism market and industry in the post-COVID era.

Regarding the development of the MICE industry, the forum agreed on the need to establish a cooperative system among local governments to mutually complement insufficient infrastructure and resources and to maximize the ripple effects of event attraction through a win-win system.

At the forum, Incheon City, Incheon Tourism Organization, Seoul City, and Seoul Tourism Foundation also signed a "Four-Party Agreement for Joint MICE Marketing Exchange Cooperation."

The two cities plan to combine Incheon's differentiated tourism content with Seoul's excellent MICE infrastructure to develop intercity linked tour programs.

Additionally, they plan to secure competitiveness by distributing customized tourism and MICE products targeting foreign visitors to Korea, whose numbers are expected to increase after COVID-19.

Lee Haeng-sook, Deputy Mayor for Culture and Welfare of Incheon City, said, "With the recent rise in Korea's cultural value, an explosive increase in tourism and MICE demand, which had been subdued due to the pandemic, is expected," adding, "If the three metropolitan cities in the Seoul Capital Area cooperate, it is expected to achieve meaningful results at the national level."