Holding a corporate meeting with special frills afterwards? Korea is pulling out all the stops to become Asia’s destination for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) this year.

The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) kicked off the campaign with the 2025 Korea MICE Roadshow in the Philippines with the Manila leg at Fairmont Makati on June 24 and the Cebu leg at Radisson Blu Cebu on June 26.

The roadshows are part of Korea’s strategy to promote its MICE offerings and regional tourism in line with its hosting of the 2025 Apec Summit in November at Gyeongju, a major city in Gyeongbuk province.

At the roundtable interview at Fairmont, Chang Wook Jung, executive director of the Korea MICE Bureau at KTO, said that in 2024, Korea hosted 243 international conferences, placing 12th worldwide and third in Asia. Additionally, he said, 240,000 visitors, including approximately 10,000 from the Philippines, traveled to Korea for corporate meetings and incentive tourism annually.

Later in his opening remarks at the Korea MICE Night, Chang expressed hope for deeper cooperation between countries, highlighting that the Philippines is a crucial market for MICE.

“Korea is particularly beautiful in autumn,” he said. “I hope to see you one day in Korea in autumn.”

Each roadshow opened with a Travel Mart for B2B networking of Korean and Philippine tourism professionals. An Experience Zone allowed travel agents to momentarily immerse themselves in Korea. There was a Caricature Corner reminiscent of San Francisco’s sidewalk artists drawing an image of a tourist within minutes and, as well, a D.I.Y. frame-decorating activity using autumn accents and stickers to get that vicarious feeling of autumn in Korea.

It concluded with a Korea MICE Night, a cultural-promotional showcase that included a three-course dinner, a presentation on Korea MICE by KTO Manila assistant manager Jen Uy, and a performance by Infinity Flying, a group of Korean talents performing gymnastics (rhythmic and apparatus) and martial arts routines, and breakdancing accompanied by technology (i.e., 3D visuals, holograms, and robots).

Chang, who’s on his third visit to the Philippines, said Manila and Cebu were chosen as the roadshow venues because the two cities are the most important MICE markets in the country.

Unique venues

B2B consultations at the Travel Mart

Uy said in her presentation that the enhanced MICE initiatives provide qualified corporate and incentive groups customized assistance (souvenirs, activity subsidies, and logical support), especially if they comprise 10 foreign nationals and will be staying in Korea for at least two nights.

She cited the Gyeongbuk Plus Special Assistance Program, which is intended to complement the Apec Summit. With contributions from Gyeongsangbuk-do, KTO, etc., the program offers up to the equivalent of ₱5,800 per person in approved groups, plus bonus benefits.

KTO also has the Korea Unique Venue, which regularly selects and promotes places embodying that distinct Korean charm. This year, KTO identified 52 unique venues such as Korea House in Seoul where visitors can tour a hanok (traditional Korean house) and enjoy traditional fine dining and performances by the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation teams. In 2023, Korea House was the venue for the “Five Sensory Sensations” that had around 150 expatriates in attendance.

The oval-shaped Nodeul Island in the middle of the Hangang Bridge is another unique venue in Seoul. From the 1930s to the 1950s, it was known for ice skating and white-sand beaches. In 2019, it was redeveloped into a global art island with state-of-the-art facilities for meetings, concerts, and other cultural events.

Outside of Seoul, Museum 1 in Busan is the venue for after-parties, launch shows, and network parties. It’s a media-specialized contemporary art museum, with the main hall fitted with a 6,000-inch LED display. The 2021 Federation of Immunological Societies of Asia-Oceania held its after-academic program in the museum. 

Another is the BUSAN X the SKY, which was the setting of the 2021 G-STAR (Game Show and Trade) reception party for the gaming and IT industries. It is the largest observatory at the tallest building in Haundae, and offers a panoramic view of the city and landmarks like Gwangandaegyo Bridge and Marine City.

‘Museum without walls’

As the host province for the Apec Summit, Geongbuk is the priority MICE destination at the moment, being equipped, Chang said, to host high-profile conferences and incentive tours.

Host city Gyeongju is known as the “museum without walls” because of its vast cultural properties and archeological sites. It’s home to three Unesco World Heritage Sites—the Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple (1995) and the Gyeongju Historic Areas (2000).

Unesco has the details online. Historically, Gyeongju was the capital of Silla during the Three Kingdoms and the Great Silla Kingdom for more than a century. According to the “Samguk sagi” (History of the Three Kingdoms) and “Samguk yusa” (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms), a collection of historical accounts, legends, and folktales, Silla was founded by Pak Hyeokgeose in Gyeongjum. The ancient kingdom was said to be modeled after the Chinese city of Chang’an (now Xian), which was designed during the Sui dynasty and prospered in the Tang dynasty.

K-Culture

In her presentation, Uy cited the reasons why Korea should be the prime choice as  MICE destination: 1) it is globally accessible; 2) domestic travel is smooth and seamless with its high-speed transportation network (think KTX special train); 3) there is a multitude of unique venues (Kintex is Korea’s largest exhibition center); 4) It has fast, stable IT and smart infrastructure (Statista says Korea is the first country worldwide to launch 5G services in 2019); and 5) travel in the country is convenient and safe.

Upping the ante is K-MICE content, which, Chang pointed out, combines business events with K-Culture experiences ranging from K-Pop and K-beauty to staying in a hanok and wellness programs. 

Chang described K-Culture as “one of Korea’s strongest global assets” that “plays a central role in our MICE strategy.” He added: “We integrate K-Pop concerts, Korean cuisine, fashion, beauty, and traditional cultural workshops into business events to offer immersive, unforgettable experiences.” 

And more: “MICE travelers today want more than meetings. They want cultural enrichment and inspiration, and Korea delivers that through K-Culture.”

That Korean entertainment can seamlessly combine with MICE tourism was proven early this year. Chang related an anecdote about a Philippine company that set its corporate meeting in Busan, with a specific request: to experience a zombie-filled train ride (as in the movie “Train to Busan”) after their meeting. 

No problem: A Korean MICE agency arranged a special KTX (Korean Train Express) ride from Seoul to Busan with the employees, in full zombie attire, reenacting scenes from the blockbuster film.