Korea plays to win in Asia - international conference center

Business Asia, April 5, 1999

With the Asia-Europe Meeting to be held in Korea in 2000 and the FIFA World Cup in 2002, Korea is fast becoming a major player in the world convention industry.

Supported by excellent meeting facilities and services, Korea has steadily grown as a major convention destination in Asia.

The Union of International Associations (UIA) statistics on international meetings ranked Korea 25th and its capital Seoul 22nd in the world in 1997.

That status is backed by International Convention and Congress Association (ICCA) figures which rank Korea 23rd in the world and third in Asia.

According to the statistics compiled by the Conventions & Events Department of the Korea National Tourism Organisation, 495 international meetings, including exhibitions and sports events, were held in Korea in 1998, attracting 442,526 foreign participants.

Across the past 10 years (1988-1998), Korean international meetings, exhibitions and events have grown at an annual average rate of 8.7 per cent, with a 21.2 per cent average annual increase in foreign participants.

More than 460 international conferences, exhibitions and events have been identified for Korea between 1998 and 2008.