UPDATE: Greater Houston Partnership Investment and Trade Delegation travels to Japan

UPDATE:

The Greater Houston Partnership Investment and Trade Delegation has now traveled to Japan to meet with dignitaries and businessmen to encourage trade and tourism in the Greater Houston and Woodlands area.



ORIGINAL STORY:

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- The Woodlands Area Economic Development Partnership is touring the far east, with stops in Seoul, Korea, and Tokyo, Japan, as part of the Greater Houston Partnership Investment and Trade Delegation to encourage more far east companies to invest in Houston.

Staley announced on his Facebook page that the Houston delegation, led by Houston mayor, Annise Parker, met with Korean business leaders Monday evening. The reception celebrated the direct flight by Korean Airlines started in Houston earlier this year.

“The start of our business development mission to Seoul and Tokyo has been fabulous.,” posted Staley. “The Koreans are very welcoming.”

Staley was up early and blogging Tuesday morning that he was meeting with the U.S. Ambassador to South Korea. In addressing Ambassador Sung Kim, and Korean businessmen, Mayor Parker emphasized the advantages that Houston has to offer Korean businesses.

“We have 30,000 Koreans who live in the Greater Houston area, so you already have a marketplace that is culturally in tuned to Korea, that where you have native speakers in Houston who can work for the company, and then we’re a really vibrant business market,” said Mayor Parker.

The mayor said that the direct flight connecting the two cities make the opportunities are now better than ever before. The delegation will be in Korea one more day before moving on to Tokyo, Japan. The agenda included a tour of the Samsung manufacturing facility on the first day of the Korean visit. Before leaving Korea, the delegation will visit one of Korea’s premier women’s universities.

This marks the fourth investment and trade mission Mayor Parker and the GHP have taken, with previous trips to China, the Middle East, and South Africa. According to data from the GHP, Houston ranks as South Korea's seventh largest international trade partner. Houston is Japan's 11th largest international trade partner.

Updates on the visit to Tokyo, Japan, will be forthcoming.