This scene is from the exhibition "Korea Life Science Week 2022" on Nov. 7 at COEX Mall in Seoul's Gangnam-gu District. (Yonhap News)

By Angie Hong

Seoul has earned the title of the world's best city for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) for the eighth straight year.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul Tourism Organization on Dec. 8 announced that the capital was named Best MICE City of 2022 by the Global Traveler Tested Reader Survey Awards in a ceremony on Dec. 6 in Los Angeles.

MICE refers to the service sector of meetings, incentive travel, conventions and exhibitions or events.

Dubai in the United Arab Emirates was the runner-up this year, followed by third-place Singapore.

The city government said, "This is the result of investing KRW 2.7 billion in six sectors including international conferences and actively supporting the MICE industry despite the COVID-19 crisis."

As a result, Seoul earned the right to host 23 global conferences including the 2024 Asian Pacific Congress of Nephrology, which is expected to attract about 3,500 participants.

Global Traveler, a trade magazine on business travel, holds the annual awards to honor the world's best in world travel like the best city for MICE as well as the top airliner and hotel based on votes from its 300,000 subscribers.

Launched in 2004, the magazine's awards ceremony marked its 19th anniversary this year.

Seoul's streak as the magazine's top MICE city began in 2015.

shong9412@korea.kr