The Plus Cities collective hosted a group of TMC agents from across Southeast Asia to explore South Korea’s MICE offerings.
Now that its gates have fully opened on 1 October 2022 with the
removal of Covid-19 tests, South Korea is all revved up and ready to
deliver that wow factor for MICE groups by breathing new life into
hidden gems, historical locales and cultural experiences all across the
country.
While the technologically advanced, entertainment-filled capital of
South Korea is not to be missed, simply visiting Seoul would be, as the
Korean expression has it, only “licking the surface of a watermelon”.
To give delegates an all-encompassing cultural awakening, combine
Seoul’s bustling city life with that of other provinces, each with its
own unique charm. It was for this reason and that to grow South Korea’s
overall potential as a preferred destination for MICE groups, that the
Plus Cities Support Program was born.
Initiated by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in 2019, the Plus
Cities Support Program is a partnership agreement among Seoul, Gangwon,
Gwangju, Gyeonggi, Gyeongnam, Jeonbuk and Chungbuk that merges Seoul’s
MICE infrastructure with that of the other cities to value-add to
groups’ experiences.
“We are taking this opportunity to rebuild the MICE industry in a
more flexible and powerful capacity and sustainable way,” says Seoul
Tourism Organization managing director Kil Ki-Yon.
Depending on the number of Plus Cities’ cities that MICE groups
travel to, the programme stacks incentives upon incentives. Under the
Plus Cities’ programme, qualified corporate groups that spend a night in
Seoul will receive KRW20,000 (US$15) per delegate, and an additional
KRW10,000 (US$8 per pax) with every partner city added.
For example, a Seoul + Gyeonggi corporate trip grants KRW30,000
(US$23) for each participant. Groups can choose to use these extra funds
to offset hotel stays, pay for traditional experiences, or even
purchase locally hand-crafted corporate gifts for delegates to keep as a
memento of their trip.