This year marked KTO’s first attempt at combining four Korea tourism events into a ‘One-Stop Travel Expo’, bringing together Korea MICE Expo, Korea Travel Mart, Korea Luxury Travel Mart, and Korea Medical & Wellness Tourism Expo into a single comprehensive hybrid event. The events were previously held as separate in-person events, however, challenges presented by Covid-19 required an alternative solution to overcome the current limitations in hosting in-person events.
KITE 2021 took on a hybrid format, with the Opening Ceremony held offline at Paradise City Hotel, Incheon with live streaming available for international attendees, and the remaining programs held online via a virtual platform developed for the expo. Programs ranged from virtual Fam Tours to conference programs and even a virtual wellness experience program.
The event kicked off with an Opening Ceremony held at Paradise City Hotel, Incheon and Songdo Central Park on June 29th.
The program for the Opening Ceremony included a Keynote Address by Chang Chee Pey, Assistant Chief Executive of Singapore Tourism Board, presenting on the topic of ‘Outlook on the Post-Pandemic Era and Preparing for the Future’, serving as an opportunity to gain insight into what the Korean tourism industry can do in order to prepare for the resumption of international travel.
The Keynote Address was followed by a Special Talk with British Actress Joanna Lumley, and a panel discussion with both speakers. The two speakers appeared at the event live via hologram from Singapore and London, showcasing Korea’s latest meeting technology.
The Opening Ceremony also highlighted Korea’s night tourism contents, with a media façade show and longboarding performance by Korean longboarder Ko Hyojoo held at Chroma Square, and a drone show held at Songdo Central Park to finish the night.
The Expo continued through July 13th with programming held online through the virtual platform. Despite the many challenges presented by Covid-19, the expo served as an opportunity for creative solutions to showcasing Korea’s latest tourism and meeting technology contents with audiences around the world.
Find out more at Korea MICE Bureau’s website.
