First result after declaration of cooperative efforts with cities and counties to help attract MICE; Gyeonggi Provincial Government currently holding talks with Ansan City for another event

◇ On September 8, Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor Kim Hee-kyeum, Suwon Mayor Yeom Tae-young, Global Sustainable Tourism Council Representative Randy Durban, and Gyeonggi Tourism Corporation President Hong Seung-pyo signed an MOU at Suwon City Hall for the hosting the 2016 GSTC international conference. ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News

Gyeonggi Province and Suwon City have successfully won the bid to host the 2016 Global Sustainable Tourism Council International Conference.

At 4:30pm on September 8, Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor Kim Hee-kyeum, Suwon Mayor Yeom Tae-young, Global Sustainable Tourism Council Representative Randy Durban, and Gyeonggi Tourism Corporation President Hong Seung-pyo sign an MOUat Suwon City Hall for the hosting the 2016 Global Sustainable Tourism Council International Conference.

According to the agreement, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council will hold next year’s international conference in Suwon. The specific time, date, and venue of the event will be discussed moving forward, and over 500 guests are expected to participate in the conference.

Additionally, the four organizations involved agreed on a number of items including: co-hosting the international conference with Suwon City; establishing an Asia-Pacific division of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council; introducing sustainable tourism standards, monitoring systems, and joint project initiatives; and cooperating in the sustainable tourism sector.

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council is an international NGO established in 2007, funded by the UN World Tourism Organization, UN Environment Plan, and UN Foundation. It creates international standards for sustainable tourism and the overall eco-tourism sector.

The agreement with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council was particularly significant in that it was the first result achieved since Gyeonggi Province recently declared it would help win MICE events together with cities and counties.

Based on this agreement, Gyeonggi Province and Suwon City will simultaneously pursue the possibility of establishing an Asia-Pacific division of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council in Suwon.

In his opening address, Vice Governor Kim Hee-kyeum said, “Gyeonggi Province is home to UNESCO Heritage Sites such as Suwon Hwaseong Fortress and Namhansanseong Fortress. Gyeonggi Province will develop Suwon as a base for the MICE industry in southern Gyeonggi by helping it win bids for MICE events specializing in cultural tourism and international organizations.”

Meanwhile, Gyeonggi Province is also exploring the possibility of hosting the 2017 Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference in cooperation with Ansan City.

ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News | Lee Jun-kyun eyekle@hanmail.net

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