Seoul has been named the recipient of this year’s “Best International Business Meetings Destination” award as voted by readers of North American industry publication Business Traveler. It is also the inaugural winner of fellow US magazine Global Traveler’s “Best MICE City” award, likewise selected by readers.
SEOUL- This is the second consecutive year Seoul has won the Business Traveler award, one of 60 categories in its annual “Best in Business Travel Awards” survey. First published in 1976, Business Traveler is one of the world’s leading corporate hospitality, travel, and lifestyle magazines, whose US edition has a circulation of 185,000. Earlier in the year, businesstravelerusa.com described Seoul’s rising attractiveness as a meetings destination, saying “New attractions and venues are opening the way for the Korean capital to remain among the world’s most popular destinations for meetings and events.”
Meanwhile Global Traveler, whose annual “Tested Reader Survey Awards” including 71 categories, described Seoul as “creating a buzz” with its MICE award, joining many other winners in the city’s meeting and travel industries, including Incheon International Airport voted “Best Airport in the World” and the Lotte Hotel Seoul declared “Best Hotel in Korea”. Multiple winners, Korean Air and Asiana, also figured prominently, with Korean Air voted “Best Flight Attendant Uniforms” and “Best Trans-Pacific Airline” and Asiana winning in the “Best Airline for Onboard Service” and “Best Airline for Flight Attendants” categories.
Global Traveler first appeared in 2004 and today counts a monthly circulation of 104,000. The online edition at globaltravelerusa.com describes Seoul as being “Not only an ideal city for business travelers with its multinational corporations, Seoul is also a treat for tourists, abounding with UNESCO-classified World Heritage sites, well-preserved royal palaces and unique festivals.”
“These awards reflect Seoul’s ongoing efforts to become the world’s best convention city, and the international marketing efforts that go along with it,” said Seo Jeong-hyup, Director-General of Tourism Policy Bureau at the Seoul Metropolitan Government. “We will certainly keep working to expand our infrastructure for the comfort and convenience of business travelers, as well as develop various tourism-related products to ensure Seoul continues to remain an ideal destination for them in the years ahead,” he added.
In October, the Seoul Metropolitan Government unveiled its ‘Master Plan’, a broad spectrum initiative to significantly develop the city’s business events infrastructure over the coming decades. The initial phase, which includes the addition of new meeting facilities and accommodation to downtown Seoul, is already underway.
Seoul Convention Bureau (SCB), a division of the Seoul Tourism Organization, is the official government-sponsored body representing and promoting the city overseas as a prime venue for meetings, conventions and exhibitions. The SCB is in charge of international marketing and public relations for Seoul as a convention city. The Seoul Tourism Organization (STO) is a joint venture launched by the city and private enterprises in February 2008 with a core mission to promote Seoul as a convention and tourism destination.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
