Sustainable development is defined as an approach to seeking profits without compromising the ability of future generations in order to meet their own needs by considering the environmental and social impact.
When Goyang Convention & Visitors Bureau(GoyangCVB) was launched, the city had a weak brand image as a MICE destination. Due to a fierce competition with our neighboring metropolitan cities such as Seoul and Incheon, we needed to build a unique brand image and gain a competitive advantage. Subsequently, we chose the keyword ‘sustainability’. GoyangCVB realized the necessity of sustainability and started to conduct related projects earlier than other Destination Marketing Organizations(DMOs) in Korea, taking one step further to lead the sustainability movement in the country. We made our brand image as ‘Sustainable MICE Capital of Korea, Goyang’, and became the first in Korea to join the Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDS-I) in 2017 to be evaluated for our activities in environment, society, MICE infrastructure, and DMO each year. In addition, we have designed sustainability strategies and appointed experts in each area with whom we discuss our future directions.
To enhance our brand image as a sustainable MICE destination, GoyangCVB designed a sustainable MICE strategy for the first time in Korea as a local government entity. Based on the five core values in line with UN SDGs, GoyangCVB made 12 core objectives and 50 action plans concerning environment, society and economy, serving as a role model of Korea’s MICE industry to stress the need and importance of sustainability.
GoyangCVB became the first in Korea to appoint seven experts who represent Goyang MICE industry(convention centers, hotels, etc.) to become members of the committee. They have made sustainable MICE strategies by having regular meetings of two or three times a year and discuss together to what direction the our sustainability business needs to move forwards.
GoyangCVB made five webtoons to effectively promote our sustainability strategy to people. By distributing the webtoons to citizens and MICE workers, GoyangCVB was able to successfully advertise our strategies and encourage them to act sustainable.
GoyangCVB became the first in Asia to hold a seminar on ‘best sustainability practices in the Asia Pacific region (Korea and Australia)’ in GDW 2020, which is a representative MICE destination event. By sharing global sustainability cases with 75 participants from eight countries, GoyangCVB promoted a role and importance of sustainability in recovering MICE destinations in the post-COVID era.