MAY/JUNE 2013
South Korea
opportunities KOREA 102
IT’S A FAIR BET that at any end- of-conference party in South Korea, delegates will find themselves dancing ‘Gangnam Style’ with their colleagues, such is the global phenomenon of the K-Pop song. The accompanying video became the first to attract a billion internet hits and with brands like Samsung, Hyundai, Daewoo and Kia now household names, South Korea has really arrived. Kia – which literally means ‘to come out of Asia’, is a case in point, as it entered the Top 100 Global Brands in 2012 as judged by Interbrand, the world’s largest branding consultancy. No wonder then that British Airways put South Korea top of the list of route launches when it gained BMI’s Heathrow slots last year, allowing it to resume flying to Seoul after a 14-year absence. Corporate traffic between the UK and South Korea is becoming more important and BA clearly believes its route
will succeed. BA naturally says it is “very pleased” with the route, but a spokesman added that the airline believes the city has growing appeal to the corporate visitor, particularly the banking and technology sectors: “Seoul is a major financial centre and is a regular destination for the London-based banking business. South Korea is a nation of ‘early adopters’, which makes the city a very exciting destination.” Korean Air's traffic from the UK to
Seoul is 60 per cent business and the airline's sales manager, Peter Barron, candidly admits that the only surprise about BA's return to Seoul "was how long it took".
The meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) sector is seeing the attractions, particularly the country’s reputation for having a reliable IT environment. The International Congress and Convention Association ranked Seoul third in Asia in terms of the number
Hip, forward-looking and in a state of constant growth, South Korea is an ideal destination for MICE events. Gary Noakes finds out how they do it, Gangnam-style
of major meetings in 2011, behind Beijing and Singapore, while the country as a whole also took third spot behind Japan and China. “We have noticed a surge of interest in South Korea for MICE events,” says Hongki Kim, Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO) director in London. The KTO is unfazed by the current rumblings north of the border and said it is not affecting travel patterns. “North Korea has a long history of confrontational rhetoric to South Korea and other countries, so South Korea is used to, and has successfully and peacefully dealt with, these situations in the past,” the KTO says, adding that it expects normality to return soon.
NUMBER ONE AIRPORT Seoul, the capital, will be the main destination in South Korea for most business visitors, and the city’s Incheon airport might be the first surprise. Most frequent travellers to
Seoul, viewed from Bongeunsa temple
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