Gwanggyo lake park in Suwon city. Photo Credit: AdobeStock/Sanga
The Suwon city government has confirmed the designation of a 210-ha area as the Suwon International Conference (SICC) District, according to local media reports.
With the designation on 9 March, the capital city of Gyeonggi province would secure some 2 billion won (US$1.36 million) worth of funds over the next five years to attract international conferences and promote tourism.
The designation was approved by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in accordance with the International Conference Industry Promotion Act. According to media reports, this allows SICC to receive administrative and financial support equivalent to special tourist zones.
Tech as value proposition
The designation of SICC District – which covers Suwon Convention Center and the Gwanggyo Techno Valley area – is expected to help position Suwon as a high-tech international MICE city.
Gwanggyo Techno Valley has a high concentration of companies, startups and research institutes from strategic technological industries such as semiconductors, biotech and artificial intelligence (AI).
Meanwhile, since its opening in 2019, Suwon Convention Center has grown to now host more than 300 exhibitions and conferences annually, drawing more than 800,000 participants to the city, media reports say.
Examples of recent conferences include the ITS Asia-Pacific General Assembly, the IEEE World Haptics Conference, and the Korean Chemical Society Conference.
Ready for visitors
While it is anchored by professional conference facilities, the SICC District also takes in a range of international brand hotels, retail options, cultural sites and tourism attractions.
The city government plans to encourage MICE visitors to extend their stays for leisure, in view of the calendar of sporting events held at Suwon World Cup Stadium as well as the Gwanggyo Lake Park drone show.
Also in the works are “industrial tourism” itineraries that include the Samsung Innovation Museum and CJ Blossom Park.
Besides the development of new tourism products, destination promotion will also include the building of online platforms.
Gyeonggi leads tech proposition
The designation coincides with confirmation on 9 March that Gyeonggi province will be one of five of South Korea’s quantum clusters.
South Korea plans to establish multiple regional quantum clusters between 2026 and 2030, linking research institutions, universities and companies to accelerate the commercialisation of quantum computing, communications and sensing technologies.
Gyeonggi is expected to play a key role due to its concentration of semiconductor manufacturing, research institutes and technology firms surrounding the Seoul capital region.