GKL, COEX join forces to draw foreign tourists to Gangnam

A foreigner-only casino operator and a major MICE complex are teaming up to attract more international visitors to South Korea, aiming to maximize the value of Gangnam's urban tourism ecosystem by linking casino and MICE offerings.

Grand Korea Leisure, which operates the Seven Luck casino brand exclusively for foreign visitors, and global MICE firm COEX signed an MOU Tuesday to attract foreign tourists and promote the tourism and cultural industries. The signing ceremony was held at GKL's headquarters in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and was attended by GKL President Yoon Du-hyeon, COEX President Jo Sang-hyeon and executives from both companies.

The agreement is designed to connect the two companies' tourism and MICE infrastructure and networks to offer international visitors a wider range of experiences, while contributing to the development of the tourism industry and local economy around the COEX area.

Under the MOU, the two companies plan to pursue four initiatives: developing tourism, MICE and cultural programs for foreign visitors; conducting joint marketing and promotions tied to international conferences and exhibitions; identifying joint promotional and cooperative projects with members of the COEX MICE Cluster; and exchanging information and conducting joint research on foreign visitor trends and spending patterns.

"I hope this agreement will serve as a foundation for offering international visitors a richer, more multidimensional tourism experience," GKL President Yoon said. "GKL will grow into Asia's leading urban tourism platform company through convergence marketing that effectively connects surrounding tourism infrastructure."

COEX President Jo said the two companies would "combine COEX's MICE infrastructure with GKL's capacity to attract foreign tourists to produce tangible results." He added that COEX would expand ties with COEX MICE Cluster members and related organizations to develop the COEX area into a premier tourism and MICE hub.