Shinsegae Duty Free Signs Agreement with China Association of Travel Services... "Expanding MICE Tourism"

Agreement Signed with the MICE Committee of the China Association of Travel Services

Shinsegae Duty Free announced on November 6 that it has signed a strategic business agreement with the MICE Committee of the China Association of Travel Services to promote Korea-China MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions) tourism.

This agreement marks the first time in the domestic duty-free industry that such a partnership is being carried out in cooperation with the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The company emphasized its significance, noting that it comes at a time when the atmosphere for restoring exchanges between the two countries is growing, following the recent APEC Summit in Gyeongju and the Korea-China summit.

Shinsegae Duty Free signed a partnership agreement with the China Travel Agency Association on the 5th at the Shinsegae DF headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul, to promote Korea-China MICE activities. After the signing ceremony, key officials from both organizations took a commemorative photo together. Provided by Shinsegae Duty Free

The China Association of Travel Services is the only nationwide travel industry cooperation organization under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. It consists of 17 subcommittees, including the MICE Committee and those for rail and educational travel, and has about 3,000 member companies, including travel agencies, airlines, and accommodation providers.

Through this agreement, the two organizations plan to proactively secure a large-scale outbound network in China and generate business synergy by utilizing local promotional channels. Specifically, they will cooperate in promoting Korea’s outstanding MICE resources, develop customized promotions and joint marketing for Chinese MICE group tourists, enhance the convenience and service quality of duty-free shopping, and discover collaborative projects to revitalize exchanges in tourism, distribution, and culture between Korea and China.

By the end of this year, Shinsegae Duty Free aims to attract over 60,000 MICE tourists through incentive group programs and a total of 140,000 Chinese tourists. In particular, for corporate delegations and business travelers, the company will strengthen the premium experience by offering differentiated VIP welcome services, such as displaying welcome messages on the media facade at the Myeongdong store, which is the largest downtown duty-free shop.

Meanwhile, Shinsegae Duty Free is pursuing a qualitative growth strategy focused on high-value business travelers, such as small, high-spending corporate trips, incentive tours, medical, and beauty groups. The average spending per customer for MICE groups is more than three to four times higher than that of regular tourist groups, currently accounting for about 35% of total sales from foreign group tourists.

A Shinsegae Duty Free representative stated, "It is highly meaningful that we have established a partnership with an organization supporting the travel industry in cooperation with the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism at a time when Korea-China exchanges are regaining momentum. We will further strengthen our competitiveness in attracting MICE groups and create new vitality in Korea-China tourism exchanges at major tourist destinations, including Myeongdong."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.