City of Seoul Prepares for Major Increase in Tourism Through Large-Scale E-Sports Event

Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. Photo by Seoul

The city of Seoul is set to host the world's largest e-sports event, the LOL World Cup, at Gocheok Sky Dome on November 19. The competition features the popular game League of Legends (LoL), in which the strongest team of the season is determined by top teams from each country's league.

In 2021, the LOL World Cup broke records for the largest number of viewers among world e-sports competitions, with 73.86 million people tuning in simultaneously. The city of Seoul has been in contact with the organizers, the Seoul Tourism Organization, and the Korea E-Sports Association since May of last year to prepare for hosting the event.

The tournament's operation and use of the Gocheok Sky Dome were closely discussed, and a commitment was made to practice environmental, social responsibility, and corporate governance improvement (ESG) and sign a win-win agreement with small and medium-sized games.

To increase tourism, the city plans to develop event-related travel products and diversify support for the e-sports industry through talent development, e-sports cultural tours, and street cheering in Gwanghwamun. With the help of the organizers, the city aims to become a leading "game city" and increase interest in the e-sports industry.

Last year, the city councilor Kim Dong-wook enacted the "game industry fostering and e-sports vitalization support ordinance," which increased the budget for e-sports support by 42%. The LOL World Cup is expected to further support the MICE tourism industry and increase the inflow of tourists to the city.

Vice Mayor of Seoul Metropolitan Government, Eui-seung Kim, expressed his hope that the event will make a leap forward for the e-sports industry in Seoul and help the city take off as a leading destination for e-sports and gaming enthusiasts.

Sayart.net 

BlueYIM, yimyoungseo1010@naver.com