Gyeonggi-do offers incentive for sustainable MICE events in South Korea

Gyeonggi-do is back at ITB Asia 2022 to present its initiatives to attract more green MICE events. Gyeonggi Tourism Organisation thus offers financial benefits and expert advise to transform an event into a sustainable experience.

As a part of its efforts toward increased sustainability, Gyeonggi Tourism Organization (GTO) has launched its Green MICE initiative, and offers up to 10% additional funding for event organisers who adopt green event practices. This incentive scheme is designed to heighten understanding about the concept of Green MICE among event organisers and get them actively involved in the movement. 

In this matter, GTO has developed a “Green MICE Checklist” to facilitate event organisers’ transition toward Green MICE. The 14 items on the list fall into five categories, such as reducing the use of disposable items, adopting eco-friendly materials, replacing paper with digital alternatives, and opting for public transportation. Each clause, rated on three levels of difficulty in terms of implementation, including easy, intermediate, and difficult, is designed to be easily applicable to any type of event. Guidelines are also provided for organisers who are not familiar with Green MICE. 

GTO has 17 Gyeonggi Unique Venue partners who recognised its sustainability efforts during an assessment in 2022. Choosing these venues, which can be used for various types of events, is particularly beneficial as GTO offers extra points while it reviews eligibility for the funding support programme. In other words, the events being hosted in any of the 17 Gyeonggi Unique Venues may have a higher possibility of a subsidy from GTO.

In a further step towards achieving carbon neutrality, GTO has launched the “G-MICE Welcome Shuttle bus” programme. Last year, it saw a pilot campaign carried out to encourage MICE event participants to use public transportation and provide shuttle buses for some events. Following positive feedback from participants, GTO officially launched the programme this year with new added initiatives such as the introduction of eco-friendly buses. GTO provides a shuttle bus service between major stations, event venues and hotels for organisers who applied for the programme.

Green MICE, by Gyeonggi and Gyeonggi Tourism Organization, aims to reduce the burden on organisers and develop a more positive perception of sustainability for stakeholders, encouraging them to get involved. In this way, GTO aims to create an ‘ECOnomical business events environment’ hand in hand with organisers and participants.

The South Korean province of Gyeonggi-do is easily accessible to travellers via Incheon International Airport. The region is home to Korea’s IT and automobile industry plus a wide range of tourist attractions including UNESCO listed heritage sites, making it the perfect place for MICE events.

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Facts about Gyeonggi Province

Gyeonggi Province surrounds Seoul, the capital city of South Korea. The region offers:

• Easy access to two major international airports in Korea
• Convenient transportation networks connecting the greater Seoul area
• Abundant MICE infrastructures including KINTEX, Korea’s largest convention centre and Suwon Convention Center, a newly opened state-of-the-art MICE complex
• International-branded hotels and resorts across 31 cities and counties
• Tourist destinations boasting a rich history and UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites such as DMZ, Suwon Hwaseong Fortress and Namhansanseong Fortress