With the recently completed and successfully executed Winter Olympics under its belt, there are increasing opportunities for South Korea as a host destination for international events! The quaint little coastal city of Gangneung, best known for its ski resorts and pine forests, took charge in gearing up for a large bump in international seminars and events after winning the bid in 2011 to host the 2018 Winter Olympics!
To better serve the hundreds of thousands of people expected for the games, Gangneung took great strides to increase presence of local restaurants and hotels to accommodate the influx of international visitors during the Winter Olympics. Several restaurants underwent major upgrades, since the city had offered to cover 70% of renovation costs. It is no surprise that 230 restaurants took advantage of this deal.
Additionally, South Korea built new highways to simplify transportation within the country. The KTX high-speed train connects Gangneung to Incheon Airport in only two hours, and to downtown Seoul in a little under two. The latest improvements have already resulted in an increase in the daily amount of visitors taking day trips to Seoul! Lastly, the establishment of the Olympic Plaza to accommodate the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang was another brilliant improvement.
These improvements in South Korea’s overall infrastructure along with its natural beauty should prove to be advantageous for the country’s thriving tourism, economy, and opportunities to be a host country for international conferences and seminars.
