Busan is good

International Association (UIA) Ranks Busan 22nd in the World and 7th in Asia for Hosting International Meetings

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Park Heong-joon, and the Busan Tourism Organization, headed by President Lee Jeong-sil (hereinafter referred to as “the Organization”), announced that Busan has once again demonstrated its position as a leading global MICE destination by ranking 22nd in the world and 7th in Asia in the 2025 International Meetings Statistics released by the International Association (UIA), thanks to the strategic international event attraction marketing carried out through their one-team partnership.

In addition to this achievement in the UIA rankings, Busan also recorded its highest-ever performance in the international meetings rankings announced by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), placing 49th globally and 12th in Asia, further solidifying its status as a global MICE hub.

This accomplishment represents the valuable outcome of the strategic joint efforts undertaken by Busan Metropolitan City and the Organization amid increasingly intense global competition among cities to attract international meetings in the post-pandemic era.

From the initial planning stage through on-site proposals and final negotiations, the two organizations devoted their full efforts to attracting high-value, large-scale international events to Busan by leveraging a close and effective cooperation network.

In addition to the advanced convention facilities at BEXCO, the cornerstone of Busan’s MICE industry, the seamless integration with accommodations, shopping, cultural attractions, and other MICE infrastructure served as a key driving force behind this achievement.

Busan’s distinctive integrated MICE ecosystem, which offers both an outstanding event environment and premium convenience, has been recognized by organizers worldwide as one of the city’s greatest competitive strengths.

The professional event support provided by the Busan MICE Alliance and the broader local MICE industry, together with strong public-private collaboration, also proved to be a powerful differentiating factor in the highly competitive global market for international event attraction.

Building on the positive evaluations from both the UIA and the ICCA, Busan Metropolitan City and the Organization plan to further enhance customized incentive programs developed in cooperation with the local industry to attract high-value intergovernmental meetings and major international academic conferences.

Lee Jeong-sil, President of the Busan Tourism Organization, stated, “As Busan’s dedicated organization for attracting and hosting international meetings, we will continue to strengthen our cooperative network with related organizations and the local industry, taking the lead in firmly establishing Busan’s position as the global hub city that MICE professionals around the world choose first.”

Na Yoon-bin, Director General of the Tourism and MICE Bureau at Busan Metropolitan City, said, “Receiving outstanding evaluations in succession from internationally recognized MICE assessment organizations demonstrates that Busan’s MICE competitiveness has already reached a world-class level.”

He added, “This achievement is the meaningful result of the one-team collaboration among Busan Metropolitan City, the Busan Tourism Organization, BEXCO, and the local MICE industry through integrated marketing efforts. We will continue to enhance our attraction marketing strategies and further strengthen the global competitiveness of Busan’s MICE industry.”