Jeju Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) is finalising its detailed post-pandemic business events strategy for 2023, but the South Korean destination has already started reaching out to international conferences and foreign incentive groups.
While the local South Korean market and north-east Asia have been its main catchment area, the CVB is now considering markets with “good potential”.
“South-east Asia such as Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand will be the target of marketing in the near future. To do so, the issue of direct flights and visas will have to be resolved, and we’re trying to do that,” said Kwanghee Lee, manager of the planning & admin team with Jeju CVB.
Currently, there are direct flights from China, Japan, Singapore and Thailand, but more should be reinstated to pre-Covid-19 levels in due time, expects Jeju CVB.
Lee also pointed to a rise in interest from Muslim tourists, and the CVB is currently in the process of “understanding Muslim culture to properly cater to their needs and interests”.
Lee said Jeju Island suits groups of all sizes, with many attractions and activities on offer, as well as various accommodation options, and typical incentive itineraries last for four days and three nights.
Financial support is also available for qualifying conferences, corporate meetings and incentive tours.
Lee added that the CVB has 17 specially-designated tourist attractions called Unique Venues, where among these are a museum, folk village, gardens, theme parks and resorts. These were chosen to provide experiences and impressions beyond standard business events.
This month, the 59th Orient and Southeast Asian Lions Forum will be heading to Jeju from November 24-27, where the event is projected to attract more than 7,000 overseas participants. It will be held at International Convention Center Jeju and Lotte Hotel Jeju.
Another five-star hotel with meeting space includes the 1,600-room Grand Hyatt Jeju, where a spokesperson shared there have been increased enquiries from event organisers.
