'MICE Recovery Signal' Korea Tourism Organization Attracts Incentive Tourism from Chinese Pharmaceutical Group

China Xiuzheng Pharmaceutical Group, Over 1,100 Arrivals
Corporate Meetings and Incentive Tourism Targeting 270,000 Visitors

As the first large-scale incentive group from China visited Korea this year, a positive signal has been lit for the inbound incentive tourism market.

Employees of China Sujing Pharmaceutical Group attending a dinner event held at The-K Hotel.
[Photo by Korea Tourism Organization]

The Korea Tourism Organization announced on the 18th that it has attracted an incentive group from Sujeong Pharmaceutical Group, one of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies in China.

Starting with Sujeong Pharmaceutical Group, other medium to large groups such as Osstem World (April 23 to May 3, 1,600 people) and Herbalife Asia-Pacific Branch (October, 3,000 people) are also scheduled to visit Korea.

Sujeong Pharmaceutical Group is a Chinese private pharmaceutical company established in 1995. With about 100,000 employees, Sujeong Pharmaceutical Group held assets worth 17 billion yuan (approximately 3.23 trillion KRW) as of 2019.

The company, which conducts overseas incentive tours for its employees every year, visited Korea for the first time in 2019 through the active attraction efforts of the organization. Following last year, it will visit Korea twice this year after the COVID-19 endemic. On the 15th, the first group of about 1,100 people arrived for a 4-night, 5-day schedule. The second visit is scheduled for September.

The first group visited major tourist attractions in Seoul such as Gyeongbokgung Palace, the Blue House, and Bukchon Hanok Village on the 16th, fully enjoying their trip to Korea. On the 17th, they enjoyed a chicken and beer party along with a performance by a K-POP singer, and on the 18th, they participated in a Korean traditional food-making experience.

The Korea Tourism Organization aims to attract 270,000 corporate meetings and incentive tourists this year. In the second half of the year, it plans to accelerate attraction activities by holding MICE roadshows in Vietnam (August) and China (September), introducing various MICE support systems in Korea, and conducting familiarization tours for influential figures.

Jung Chang-wook, head of the MICE division at the Korea Tourism Organization, said, "The number of corporate meetings and incentive tourists attracted and supported by the organization in the first quarter of 2024 was about 40,000, which is 2.6 times higher than the same period last year. We will continue to actively promote sales to discover demand from medium to large groups and widely promote Korea as an incentive tourism destination."