Seoul Sparks Strong Interest at Middle East's Biggest MICE Event Seoul made strong inroads into the Middle East at the GIBTM 2010 (Gulf Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings Exhibition), held in Abu Dhabi, UAE, from March 29 to 31. The MICE industry keeps growing in the UAE and the rest of the Middle East, with Seoul drawing significantly greater interest than even a year ago despite the recent financial difficulties in Dubai. Roughly double the number of interested attendees compared to GIBTM 2009 peppered representatives of the Seoul Convention Bureau with all manner of questions about what to them has been a hitherto-unknown destination and MICE venue. Middle Eastern buyers at the exhibition, the largest event of its kind in the Gulf region, showed great interest in Seoul, demonstrating that the city is a hot new destination for tourism and conventions. Regional interest in Seoul owes much to the increased popularity of Korean culture worldwide known as the "Korean Wave", with Korean television programs-particularly dramas and traditional Korean culture, which Middle Eastern attendees were keen to discuss with the Seoul representatives. Indeed, the attendees were particularly enamored with the traditional Korean cookies and teas (green, ginseng, citron), as well as hanbok, or traditional Korean clothing. Their love of Korean historical dramas led to many inquiries about famous sites in the nation's capital, such as Changdeokgung, a palace where Korean television's greatest international export, ¡®Dae Jang Geum', was filmed. Korea's capital has also been gaining international attention from a series of high-profile events scheduled to be held in the city, such as the November G-20 Summit and this year's Korea MICE EXPO. A "Visit Korea Year" campaign and the designation of Seoul as World Design Capital 2010 are putting a spotlight on the city as well. At the exposition, officials from Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Convention Bureau of Seoul Tourism Marketing gave details on upcoming conventions and promoted the city as a new destination for business tourism. These efforts are expected to be an impetus for increased convention marketing activities. Thanks to frequent media coverage of Korea, Seoul's convention facilities and environment drew a lot of attention, and a large number of buyers requested details on holding future events in the city. Interest in Seoul as a MICE destination was so high that officials ran out of promotional materials early in the event, and many local buyers requested that more materials be sent later. Of Seoul's MICE infrastructure, strong interest was shown in COEX, the city's premier convention center, for its multitude of facilities and proximity to the business district and public transport, as well as the under-development Floating Island complex currently being built near the Banpo Bridge. Also, participants from the Middle East and various other countries relished the opportunity to experience the unique taste and beauty of Korean traditional foods, including rice cakes and tea, offered at the event. They also found great interest in a booth promoting Seoul as World Design Capital 2010. Local daily newspapers ran photos of Korean traditional clothes during the period of the GIBTM, drawing attention to Korean culture. Through the exhibition, participants from Seoul gained a better understanding of the current state of the Middle Eastern market, where there was previously little information available on Seoul, while intensively carrying out PR and marketing activities. However, they found that there is not enough specialized manpower from Seoul for customers in the Middle East, despite a lot of local interest. This includes specially tailored cultural programs, such as the Fam Tour, and other programs and facilities that cater to the particular needs of Middle Eastern business tourists, including hallal restaurants. It is thus necessary to develop tailored products and offer restaurants that appeal to tourists from Muslim countries. To Seoul, the Middle East is seen as new frontier for promotion, with many Korean firms such as Samsung and a multitude of construction companies finding success in the UAE. This year's GIBTM is seen as a major success along the path to fully-realizing Seoul's profile in the region, and Seoul hopes to strengthen its ties with the Middle East in the future. |
