Suwon Newly Designated as International Conference Complex District... Strengthening the Foundation of the MICE Industry

Expansion to Eight International Conference Complex Districts
Benefits Including Reductions in Traffic Generation Charges

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on January 15 that it has newly designated the area surrounding Suwon Convention Center as an International Conference Complex District to strengthen the region's capacity to attract international conferences. With this designation under the Act on the Promotion of the International Conference Industry (International Conference Act), the number of International Conference Complex Districts has increased from the previous seven-Incheon, Goyang, Gwangju, Daegu, Busan, Daejeon, and Gyeongju-to a total of eight.

An International Conference Complex District, as defined by the International Conference Act, is an area centered on specialized conference facilities and includes accommodations, retail facilities, and performance venues, thereby clustering international conference infrastructure. Since 2019, the Ministry has supported these districts to enhance the competitiveness of attracting and hosting international conferences and to promote the sustainable growth of the international conference industry. Up to last year, a total of 15.1 billion won in national funding was provided, and this year, an additional 2.1 billion won will be invested to strengthen the foundation for attracting international conferences, including supporting clustered facilities and providing convenience for conference participants.

Districts designated as International Conference Complex Districts are eligible for reductions on five types of fees: traffic generation charges, development charges, alternative forest resource creation fees, farmland preservation charges, and alternative grassland creation fees. They can also receive tourism fund support through projects aimed at revitalizing the districts. Additional benefits include being regarded as tourism special zones under Article 70 of the Tourism Promotion Act, among others.

Suwon International Conference Complex District [Provided by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism]

The newly designated 'Suwon High-Tech Complex District' covers approximately 2.1 million square meters, with Suwon Convention Center serving as its core international conference facility and a vision to become an "integrated international conference complex district realizing glocalization." In particular, it has been positively evaluated for its strong competitiveness in attracting international conferences in advanced technology fields, leveraging the high-tech industrial base of Gwanggyo Techno Valley, and for providing a differentiated MICE experience through the creation of six specialized zones, including the "MICE Core Town" for hosting MICE events, as well as culture, technology, and healing towns.

To further activate the operation of these districts, the Ministry has additionally designated 10 international conference cluster facilities in the Suwon, Goyang,·and Gyeongju complex districts. International conference cluster facilities refer to accommodations, retail facilities, performance venues, museums, art galleries, and specialized sports facilities within the complex district that contribute to the clustering and operational activation of international conference infrastructure.

In the Suwon complex district, seven facilities have been newly designated: Courtyard Marriott Suwon (accommodation), Suwon Gwanggyo Museum (museum), and Suwon World Cup Stadium (sports facility), among others. In the Goyang complex district, one facility-Starfield Market Ilsan (retail facility)-has been added, while in the Gyeongju complex district, two facilities-Sono Calm Gyeongju (accommodation) and The K Hotel Gyeongju (accommodation)-have been newly designated.

A policy official from the Ministry stated, "The designation of the Suwon complex district will serve as an important milestone in expanding the foundation of Korea's MICE industry and contributing to balanced regional development," adding, "The Ministry will continue to support each district so that, by leveraging their unique regional characteristics, they can grow into world-class MICE destinations."