Incheon Emerges as a Global MICE City: 3.2 Million Participants and 1.7 Trillion Won Economic Impact

Incheon Rises 165 Places in 2023 ICCA Rankings to 127th Worldwide

Last year, the number of participants in MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) events held in Incheon reached 3.2 million, with the estimated economic impact amounting to approximately 1.7 trillion won.

According to the Incheon Metropolitan Government and the Incheon Tourism Organization on May 13, the number of MICE events last year was 6,827, an increase of 16.5% compared to the previous year and a 100.6% increase compared to 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Major achievements in attracting events include the largest-ever corporate meeting, the '2025 Nu Skin Global Live,' which drew 11,000 participants from eight countries; the global EDM festival 'UMF Korea,' which attracted about 70,000 attendees over three days; and the '2024 Asia-Pacific Wind Energy Summit (APWES),' held in Korea for the first time.

Incheon Emerges as a Global MICE City: 3.2 Million Participants and 1.7 Trillion Won Economic Impact

'2024 Nu Skin Global Live' Corporate Meeting Event. Incheon Tourism Organization

In addition, Incheon has successfully secured a series of large-scale MICE events with significant global influence, such as the '2027 IUGG General Assembly,' the world's largest academic conference in the field of geoscience, and the '2026 WFDSA World Congress,' the first global direct selling industry congress to be held in Asia.

According to the 2023 ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) rankings, Incheon rose 165 places from the previous year to rank 127th in the world, while also maintaining 37th in the world and 4th in Korea in the UIA (Union of International Associations) rankings.

Last year, the total number of participants in MICE events attracted to Incheon expanded to 3.2 million, and the resulting economic impact reached approximately 1.7 trillion won. This impact analysis was calculated not by the general estimation method of the Korea Tourism Organization's Data Lab, but through Incheon's own analysis tool linked to the city's input-output table.

Baek Hyun, CEO of the Incheon Tourism Organization, stated, "Incheon is emerging as a leading global MICE city representing Asia," adding, "We will continue to attract medium and large-scale MICE events by leveraging the excellent MICE infrastructure in Songdo and Yeongjongdo, specialized unique venues such as the SangSang Platform in the old downtown area, and customized support policies for event attraction."