S Korea aims for 40,000 Thai MICE travellers in 2025, now ASEAN’s No 2 market

The Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO) is stepping up efforts to attract more Thai visitors under its MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) tourism campaign, targeting 40,000 Thai MICE travellers — or about 400 groups — by 2025, representing a 20% increase from last year.

KTO is using international platforms such as IT&CM Asia and CTW APAC in Bangkok, along with a roadshow in Chiang Mai, to promote K-Culture soft power and introduce new corporate incentive packages.

At the IT&CM Asia event, KTO and the Korea MICE Cities network highlighted South Korea’s world-class infrastructure and business privileges while blending cultural attractions like K-pop, K-food, and wellness experiences to enhance the appeal of South Korean destinations.

The Korea MICE Roadshow in Chiang Mai drew over 120 participants from travel agencies, corporate sectors, and institutions to explore partnership opportunities.

“Thailand is one of the key MICE markets for South Korea. MICE travellers tend to spend nearly twice as much as regular tourists,” said the Executive Director of KTO Thailand.

“South Korea’s strengths — from Incheon Airport’s connectivity to over 186 cities, high-speed internet, comprehensive Wi-Fi coverage, to world-class safety and environmental standards — combined with unique K-Culture experiences, make us confident in attracting at least 40,000 Thai MICE travellers by 2025,” he added.

According to KTO, international MICE participants spend an average of 2.8 million won (around 64,000 baht) per person. South Korea’s MICE sector accounts for roughly 9.2% of its tourism revenue, with international conferences making up 68.5% of that figure.

Before the pandemic,South Korea hosted up to 230,000 MICE events annually in 2019, and the market has shown steady recovery since.

Thailand is now South Korea’s second-largest MICE market in ASEAN, following Vietnam, and is being positioned as one of the country’s long-term strategic growth drivers in the MICE industry.

To tap into the Thai market, KTO has launched a new incentive support programme for the second half of 2025. The package covers support for gala dinners, team-building activities, chartered buses, K-pop booths, K-food trucks, and trip video production. 

It also offers special incentives for groups visiting Gyeongju and North Gyeongsang province — host of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit 2025.

KTO further reported that Thai leisure travel to South Korea has been rising steadily, with arrivals growing about 5% monthly for four consecutive months since May.

In 2019, there were approximately 570,000 Thai visitors to South  Korea, while 1.89 million South Koreans travelled to Thailand. 

Although the pandemic disrupted travel flows, the 2024 figures have rebounded close to pre-COVID levels — with 1.87 million South Koreans visiting Thailand and about 320,000 Thais visiting South Korea, or around 60% of the 2019 level.

KTO is also working with relevant agencies to improve the Korea Electronic Travel Authorisation (K-ETA) and immigration processes to make travel more seamless for Thai tourists.