KTO Jakarta: Indonesian MICE Travelers to Korea

 

Korea MICE Tour: Korea beyond Meeting! MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) is one of the mainstays of Korean tourism. With its cultural diversity that blends harmoniously with technological sophistication, Korea is indeed charming to be a MICE tourist destination. According to the records of the Union of International Associations (UIA) in 2017, Korea became the country with the most meetings, with 1,105 meetings. Seoul and Busan are favorite destinations for holding MICE, the two cities occupy the 3rd and 9th positions as cities that host the most meetings.

Korea's success in becoming the world's MICE goal cannot be separated from Korea's hard work in providing the best services such as providing experts in their fields and world-class infrastructure, comfortable MICE venues and panoramic views and various unique activities. In terms of transportation, Korea is not only easily accessible from various cities in Asia, including Jakarta with a direct flight of around 6.5 - 7 hours to Seoul, but also offers fast, convenient and varied transportation options.

Here are some things that attract Korea as a MICE tourist destination

 

• Unique Venues in Each City

Korea not only offers convention buildings or large-capacity ballrooms, but also unique venues in terms of places and activities. The goal is to make MICE events even more memorable. An example is a hanok complex or cultural center with various traditional programs such as tasting authentic royal cuisine, trying out wearing hanbok, playing samulnori (Korean percussion) and Janggu (a kind of drum), making Korean green tea under the direction of each expert in their field.

 

• Panorama Treat

Various MICE venues in Korea are designed in such a way that they are located in areas with stunning panoramas. For example, The Bay 101, in the Haeundae beach area, Busan, offers a small to medium capacity beachfront location, of course with a beautiful view of the beach. At night, MICE tourists can enjoy panoramic views of the city of Busan with its iconic Gwangan bridge.

 

• Special Themes

In addition to unique venues and beautiful panoramic views, Korean venues also have themed space designs. Spirited Garden on Jeju Island, for example, has seven gardens designed based on Jeju's typical water and volcanic landscape. In the park, MICE events can be held, ranging from banquets, international conferences, to company meetings.

Regarding the promotion of MICE tourism, the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) has always been at the forefront, one of which is through MICE Roadshow activities to various countries. For this year, KTO also held MICE Roadshows to several countries in Asia, including Indonesia. In Indonesia, this MICE Roadshow was held in Jakarta on April 11, 2019, at Hotel Mulia. As in previous years, KTO has again facilitated Korean MICE tourism business people to meet directly with Indonesian MICE tourism businesses in a B2B format. A total of 26 Korean MICE tourism actors who attended included hotels and resorts, travel agents, tourist attractions, local governments and others.

At this MICE Roadshow, KTO highlighted and presented the cities of Suwon, Busan and Gangwon Province as MICE tourist destinations. It is hoped that other cities will also follow the success of Seoul and Busan in becoming the world's MICE tourist destinations. KTO Jakarta Office, as a KTO branch office in Indonesia, has an important role in promoting MICE in Indonesia because it is the main door connecting MICE tourism businesses in the two countries by holding a support program for Indonesian MICE tourism businesses.

Andrew Kim Jonghoon, Director of KTO Jakarta, said that “Indonesian MICE tourists to Korea have experienced a significant increase. In 2018, the increase in MICE tourists reached more than 50 percent compared to 2017. This is a very positive result, but it also means that KTO Jakarta will have to work even harder this year. Hopefully this year MICE tourists to Korea will continue to have a positive trend.”