Seoul, South Korea. Credit: 123rf
MICE buyers are registering strong interest and confidence in South Korea again, following the mid-year Mers scare which sent business events plunging south.
While Blazey Nocon, MICE operations supervisor of Travel Experts in Manila, had faced cancellations to Seoul during the MERS period in June and July, he told TTG Asia e-Daily that it is now “a thing of the past”.
Nocon remarked: “We are even seeing an increase in requests compared to last year because our clients enjoy the weather and food in South Korea, and prices are also cheaper compared to Japan.”
Nocon said his company has a confirmed incentive group of approximately 90 pax bound for Seoul in February 2016, and is presently pending confirmation from another corporate group.
Li Haijiao, account manager of Comfort MICE Service in Beijing, who has three incentive groups visiting Seoul and Jeju this month, said clients are no longer concerned about South Korea’s Mers situation.
“The Chinese are still very interested in South Korea because it is considered a fashionable destination, and they are drawn by the Korean dramas. There is a star quality associated with the destination,” Li added.
Thai corporate interest is also returning, noted Choochai Chinanurakchart, operations manager of Bangkok-based Meetings & Convention Planner. Choochai is now planning for a 150-pax meeting and incentive group to Seoul.
“Despite the Mers scare, South Korea has bounced back as a hot destination for meetings because it has a rich culture, plus good and convenient meeting faciltiies,” he said.
Maureen O’Crowley, executive director, MICE Division with Seoul Tourism Organisation (STO), has also confirmed that business has “resumed as per usual”, with October showing itself to be a “very strong month”.
She added: “Mers was a short-lived situation and we were able to ride out the storm and we did quite well.”
To truly recapture business, STO rolled out at the start of September a series of perks for business event groups that confirmed their travels to Seoul by September 30.
Two programmes were available, one banking on Seoul’s major autumn festivals and the other offering a 10,000 won (US$8.40) food credit per delegate, a city tour of Seoul on coach, and up to three million won in credit towards a Seoul-based performance for events taking place by June 2016.
Read more reports from the ground in our IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific 2015 Show Dailies.
Additional reporting by Michael Mackey
