seoul convetion bureau

Namho Chung, Dean of the College of Hotel & Tourism Management, Kyung Hee University (Director of Smart Tourism Research Center)

The remarkable development of Seoul as a smart city is transforming traditional tourism methods into innovative smart tourism. At the heart of this transformation lies a new paradigm known as “Smart MICE,” which utilizes digital technology in the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions (MICE) industry to bring about an innovative approach that enhances efficiency, accessibility, and experiences. Leveraging the latest digital technologies, this approach revitalizes the traditional MICE industry by optimizing the planning, operation, and participant experiences of various events.

While a smart city focuses on sustainability, efficiency, and improving the quality of life for citizens across the entire city, a smart tourism city, on the other hand, prioritizes the symbiotic relationship between residents and tourists from a tourism perspective. It also aims to make various systems within the city used by residents, easily and conveniently accessible to tourists for tourism purposes. Seoul, as a smart tourism city, supports Smart MICE in a variety of ways. For example, Seoul utilizes advanced digital technologies to provide participants with more immersive and interesting experiences. Virtual conferences held in VR and AR-based attractions and metaverse spaces clearly demonstrated Seoul's leadership in Smart MICE during the COVID-19 period.

Furthermore, Seoul is enhancing the efficiency of MICE events using smart city infrastructure. For instance, the Intelligent Transportation System provided by the Seoul's Transport Operation and Information Services (TOPIS) assists participants to easily and quickly navigate from the city center to event venues. Digital signage, such as the comprehensive digital guide installed in Seoul's subway system, and mobile apps including VisitSeoul, offer event information and city guidance in real time.

Smart MICE overcomes the limitations of the traditional MICE industry and offers participants enhanced experiences, improved convenience and accessibility, and more networking opportunities. For organizers, the efficiency of event management is increased through automated registration systems, and data-driven decision-making is feasible through participant behavior analysis and real-time feedback collection. Additionally, the use of digital technology reduces print material usage, leading to cost savings and environmentally friendly event operations. During the “Seoul Sustainable Tourism Conference 2023,” organized by the Seoul Tourism.

Organization (STO) in collaboration with UNWTO in November, e-materials were provided using QR codes, completely eliminating the need for printed materials, and 100% recyclable eco-friendly lanyards and name tags were used. Especially in recent times, online platforms like Virtual Seoul and virtual conferencing technologies have facilitated participants’ access to events from anywhere in the world.

The goal of Smart MICE aligns with the vision of Seoul as a smart tourism city. Seoul envisions itself as a sustainable platform that pursues the happiness of both residents and tourists, aiming to build a sustainable and comprehensive tourism ecosystem. This includes not only providing convenience and gratification for residents of Seoul but also ensuring that tourists visiting Seoul for tourism purposes can have comfortable and enjoyable experiences.

To achieve its vision, Seoul Smart Tourism City has outlined attractiveness, accessibility, digitalization, sustainability, and collaborative partnership as the five driving strategies. For creating an attractive smart tourism city, the focus is on building virtual experience services that enhance the value of tourism, creating smart tourism content that satisfies all senses, and establishing entertainment smart experiences and smart tourism streets. Regarding accessibility, the emphasis is on providing convenient and easy mobility for citizens and tourists through smart mobility, along with creating a barrier-free tourism environment. Digitalization is considered a core element for smart tourism, involving the expansion of digital infrastructure such as wireless internet and the implementation of a data-driven smart tourism city. Sustainability highlights the construction of a continuously growing smart tourism city ecosystem and the formation of a smart tourism city that coexists with existing resources. Lastly, collaborative partnership aims to enhance cooperative relationships and networking with various stakeholders in Seoul City.

To assess whether the strategy for establishing a smart tourism city is progressing properly, it is necessary to diagnose the situation in Seoul and make efforts to improve based on a comparison with other international tourism cities. Since 2020, the STO has been developing standardized and objective indicators that can be applied not only domestically but also to major smart tourism cities worldwide, and systematically monitoring various smart tourism-related projects being pursued in Seoul. Through a system known as the “Smart Tourism City Competitiveness Index,” the current status of Seoul as a smart tourism city can be diagnosed, and potential areas for improvement can be identified and addressed through relative comparisons with other tourism cities.

Seoul exhibits a high level of digital readiness compared to other tourism cities in overall, while its attractiveness, sustainability, and collaborative partnerships are also outstanding. However, there is a common observation that accessing tourism information is still not easy considering the established digital infrastructure. Therefore, efforts are needed to provide diverse tourism data to tourists more easily and conveniently.

Smart MICE in the smart tourism city of Seoul is a crucial step beyond mere technological advancements, as it seeks sustainable development in the tourism industry. Through this initiative, Seoul aims to provide tourists with more memorable experiences, stimulate local economic growth, and establish itself as a model that sets new standards in the global tourism industry. By driving Smart MICE, Seoul will solidify its position as a world-class tourist destination and take on a leadership role in pioneering new trends in the tourism industry.