An Analysis of Competitiveness to Hold International Conferences by Regions in South Korea using Entropy-TOPSIS

The purpose of this study is to analyze the competitiveness of holding international conferences by regions in South Korea, based on its statistical data, using Entropy and TOPSIS. Analysis factors are infrastructure (meeting facilities, accommodate facilities, professionals, accessibility to city), experiences (frequency of international conferences, participants per a event, sales figures per a event), regional attraction (tourism resources, city safety), service quality (satisfaction scores with facility environment and operational capability), and administrative support (related regulations, CVB). As a result, the most important factor is professionals with weight of 0.260079, followed by frequency of 0.212207, and accessibility of 0.186700. Considering weights of factors and using statistical data by regions, the most competitive region is Seoul. And the following areas were ranked in order: Gyeonggi, Incheon, Busan, Jeju, Gyeongnam, Daegu, Jeonbuk, Daejeon, Gangwon, and Gyeongbuk. Metropolitan areas including Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon, Southeast area, Busan, Jeju, and Gyeongnam all had competitive advantage to hold and attract international conferences in South Korea. Each region should establish differentiated strategies considering the currant status, such as regional statistical data.