Travel is picking up month by month, especially leisure travel, which is leading the way. But business-centric cities are getting creative in the ways they promote the destinations for when international travel widely opens; technology is helping them do it. Last week I was invited to a virtual familiarization (FAM) tour by Seoul Tourism Organization to visit its new virtual platforms that showcase the city’s amazing duality of heritage and modern destinations for the business traveler.

This virtual Seoul allowed visitors to enter famed landmarks used as venues for education and even meetings. For example, Changdeokgung Palace is used as the main conference hall where the opening keynote and closing remarks take place. Also, main presentations from speakers will take place there, too. Changdeokgung Palace is one of five beautiful palaces situated in the center of Seoul. This palace is special, as it’s a registered UNESCO World Heritage site for its historical value and the beauty it preserves.

By far my favorite activities were held in Dongdaemun Design Plaza. This modern, cultural complex building situated next to the traditional Korean beauty is one of the most attractive points of Seoul, contrasting charms of the modern and the traditional. However, for this virtual meeting it’s used as a VR theater for virtual tours with 360 VR videos of Seoul’s landmarks, unique venues and team-building programs. Some of my favorite tours were a VR tour while riding a rickshaw and the cooking class to make seafood pancakes (one of my favorite Korean dishes!).

As travel continues to slowly rebound, it is inspiring to see destinations create unique ways to market their cities. Personally, I can not wait to get back to Korea soon!

— Carly Allen, executive vice president, associate publisher