[Edaily Reporter LEE SEON-WOO ] Arguments have been raised that the roles of the central government and local governments must be redefined to revitalize the regional MICE industry. The argument is that the current industry promotion system, which relies on central government policies and support, should be shifted to a model led by local governments.
It was pointed out that roles should be divided such that the central government provides support in the form of institutional frameworks, funding, and overseas networks, while local governments take the lead in identifying and fostering events tailored to regional characteristics. There were also calls to introduce a lodging tax and a tourism tax to enable local governments to secure their own financial resources.
At the “Policy Forum on the New Role, Value, and Strategic Positioning of the K-MICE Industry,” held on the 27th of last month at the National Assembly Library in Yeouido, Seoul, the establishment of a region-centered industry promotion system was identified as a key task. The event was hosted by the offices of National Assembly members Lee Jae-jeong, Kim Yun-deok, Lee Jeong-mun, Im Oh-kyung, and Cho Gye-won—all members of the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports, and Tourism Committee—and organized by the Korea MICE Association, the PCO Association, the MICE Event Industry Cooperative, and the Festival and Event Association.
Regional and industry representatives who delivered presentations and participated in the discussion identified a “rain-fed” financial structure—one that relies on central government support—as a major obstacle to industry revitalization. They pointed out that with dependence on public funds exceeding 90 percent, a business structure reliant on central government support inevitably leaves the scale and sustainability of projects at the mercy of whether or not funding is secured. There were also calls to shift government grant programs, which are currently focused on single-year funding, to a multi-year support model.

Kim Hyun, Director of the Chungbuk Cultural Foundation, lamented, “The entire annual budget for supporting the hosting of international events in Chungbuk Province—where the Cheongju OSCO opened last year—is just 130 million won,” adding, “No matter how excellent the facilities built in the region may be, without a budget to support attracting and hosting events, there will inevitably be limits to maximizing their utilization.”
Measures to secure independent funding were also proposed to reduce financial dependence on the central government and increase local governments’ autonomy in project planning and operation. Lee Sang-yeol, Director General of the Goyang International Expo Foundation, emphasized, “We should introduce accommodation and tourism taxes in Special Tourism Zones and International Conference Complex Districts, and allow local convention bureaus, tourism organizations, and foundations to use a portion of the funds raised as project expenses.”
There were also calls to expand private-sector participation and investment in the development of crowd-drawing facilities—such as shopping centers and integrated resorts—within regional tourism special zones and international conference complexes. It was further recommended that the promotion of events shift from relying on short-term support from the central government to a model where regions establish long-term strategies, backed by both the government and the private sector.
Jeong Gwang-min, a research fellow at the Korea Culture and Tourism Research Institute, said, “Initial investment is essential to continuously implement policies tailored to regional characteristics and to foster flagship events,” adding, “Establishing a ‘MICE Development Fund’ through joint government-private investment to strategically support policies and events with promising outcomes and growth potential is one possible approach.”

There have also been calls to improve the criteria for measuring the economic and industrial impacts of the MICE industry. The argument is that evaluations should reflect not only short-term economic effects—such as the number of participants and spending—but also medium- to long-term “catalytic effects,” including contract signings, investment attraction, technology exchange, talent influx, and enhancement of the city’s brand.
Director Lee Sang-yeol emphasized, “Until now, the MICE industry has been underestimated because its wide-ranging effects have not been measured or reported,” adding, “We must introduce a system to track and measure follow-up outcomes two months, six months, and even up to one year after an event concludes.”
The government also agreed on the need to improve the support system to foster a region-led MICE industry. Kim Na-na, Director of the Convergence Tourism Division at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said, “To create a healthy regional MICE industry ecosystem, we are reviewing plans to strengthen incentives for regions to host international conferences and incentive travel starting next year, as well as to restructure programs that foster international conferences linked to regional specialty industries.”