Stats showed that the number of inbound tourists visiting Seoul, the nation’s biggest MICE market, was restored to pre-Covid pandemic levels.
The MICE industry stands for all business events, combining meetings, incentive travel, conventions and exhibitions.
Figures, released by the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) showed that the number of foreign tourists who toured Seoul totaled 12.12 million in the first 11 months of last year.
The figure represents 95 percent of 12.74 million tourists who came to the capital during the same period of 2019, the biggest-ever figure.
It was noteworthy that the number of inbound tourists was on the rise on a gradual basis every year, and was not a short-term surge on the back of any specific events.
The findings came out as SMG applied the rate of touring Seoul to each year’s inbound tourists’ survey.
The number of foreign tourists who toured Seoul after the pandemic was on the rise: increasing to 2.19 million won in 2022 and 8.03 million in 2023.
An SMG official said, “The number of foreign tourists who toured Seoul has been on a steady rise after the pandemic, giving a fresh spring-like vigor to Seoul’s tourism market.”
The rationale behind the rising inbound visitors to Seoul is owed to the MICE industry, which comes with a stream of administrative and fiscal support on top of the K-culture and K-content sweeping the globe.
Seoul was selected as “top MICE City” in the Global Traveler Tested Reader Survey Awards of some 300,000 people around the world last year for the 10th consecutive year to make it the list of the Hall of Fame. Seoul has built up the standing as a global MICE city.
A helium balloon ride made its debut as a night landmark overlooking the Seoul skyline’s Han River and skyscrapers.
In keeping with diversifying global tourism trends, SMG plans to nurture Seoul’s differentiated tourism content to focus on experiences, individuals and value-added tourism.
They aim to have Seoul be recognized as a metropolis full of high-quality tourism gems.
SMG plans to make Seoul a “fun city”, complete with exciting festivals that foreigners can enjoy in all four of Korea’s seasons, so as to spur the growth of Seoul’s tourism industry.
SMG plans to make Seoul’s attractions known through experience festivals - surpassing simple observation festivals.
Seoul Festa, taking place from April 30 until May 6, is a large-sized road show that attracts some 10,000 Seoulites and tourists.
“Take It Easy, Han River Triathlon Festival,” being held between May 30 and June 1, is a kind of a triathlon of swinging, biking and running along the Han River in summer.
In the fall, “Barbecue Festival” will take place from Oct. 25 to Oct. 26, so that families and friends can enjoy parks in the capital.
The “Seoul Lantern Festival” will call out to people wanting to walk along the Cheonggaecheon area amid the beautiful lights of Seoul in December.
Among representative specialty tourism products targeting individual tourists are “Seoul Edition 25” and “Soul Spot.”
SMG plans to offer Seoul’s differentiated tourism content gems just as Seoulites can enjoy the capital’s culture with ease.
In the first half of this year, Seoul Edition 25 will select and announce attractive hot spots among a selection of 100 Seoul life hot places explored by SMG last year.
Soul Spot will bring tourists riding the hallyu (Korean Wave) to location spots of dramas, films and K-pop.
Seoul plans to concentrate on nurturing value-added tourism industries, such MICE and medical tourism.
Last year, SMG expanded a medical tourism explanation session, which took place in Mongolia, to the Middle East region.
“2024 Ulan Bator Health Consultation & Medical Tourism Session” attracted some 400 people from hospitals in Seoul and the Mongolian medical tourism industry in June.
During the session, 204 people received medical sharing services and a combined 95 medical tourism negotiations were held.
Major events will demonstrate Seoul’s attractions as a global tourism metropolis this year.
They include “Asia 50 Best Restaurants,” taking place in March for the second straight year and “Seoul Olympic Legacy Forum,” taking place in November in connection with the General Assembly of the World Union of Olympic Cities, to be held in PyeongChang.
Koo Jong-won, chief of the Tourism and Sports Bureau at SMG, said, “This year will be a significant year to usher in the ‘3.3.7.7. Tourism Era’: rising the number of inbound tourists to 30 million, spending per head to 3 million won, raising the number of stay days to seven and increasing revisiting rate to 70 percent).”
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