서울시,‘최고의 MICE 도시’4년 연속 수상

High-flying business travellers selected Seoul... as the best place for international gatherings.
The choice was made easy thanks to the city's increased efforts to host global conventions and exhibitions over the past decade.
Oh Soo-young explains further.
Seoul has been named the best city in the world to hold meetings, conferences and exhibitions for the fourth consecutive year.
Seoul Metropolitan Government said Monday that the city topped travel magazine Global Traveler's annual rankings which are based on a survey of 105-thousand frequent business travelers and high-income subscribers.
Dubai came in second place, followed by Singapore, London and Hong Kong.
Seoul first claimed the top spot in 2013,... before losing out to Singapore the following year.
But since 2015,... South Korea's capital city has remained the most attractive destination for business gatherings and exhibitions.
"International visitors have noted Seoul's unique harmony of traditional and modern qualities, as well as convenient accommodation, transportation and conference facilities. We plan to continue growing the MICE sector in scale and quality,... as well as supporting workers in the industry."
The MICE industry has been one of South Korea's key growth sectors since 2009 when the central government officially identified the sector as one of its 17 "New Growth Engine Industries."
Among the scores of large-scale global conferences held in the Korean capital,... major milestones include the G20 Seoul Summit in 2010,... and two nuclear security summits.
Based on a report last year by the Union of International Associations, South Korea has been the world's top destination for international meetings for two straight years,... with nearly 13-hundred meetings hosted in the country in 2017.
That accounts for some thirteen percent of the total number of international meetings that year.
In terms of cities,... Seoul ranked third with 688 meetings, following Singapore and Brussels.
Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.