mice business tourism

MICE tourism: A simple explanation

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Mice tourism is a prominent part of the tourism industry, yet many people have no idea what MICE means! Well, in this article I am going to change that! Read on to learn what mice tourism is, how the MICE tourism industry has grown worldwide and why this type of tourism is so important!

Conferences

Exhibitions, the growth of mice tourism, why is mice tourism important, industry players in the mice tourism sector, the future for mice tourism, mice tourism: further reading, what is mice tourism.

MICE tourism is a part of the business tourism industry. It encompasses four niche areas, which are:

• Incentive travel

As you can see, MICE is actually an acronym used to group together the four tourism types mentioned above- contrary to popular belief, it has nothing to do with rodents!

MICE tourism is typically tourism provision that is planned in advance and designed for large groups of people for particular purposes. Leong (2007) defines MICE as ‘a type of tourism where groups of participants are gathered to achieve certain purposes.

Below, I have provided an explanation of each component of MICE:

Mice tourism includes any types of travel for the purpose of a meeting(s). This ranges from small meeting to large meetings. Meetings can be short in duration (e.g. last a couple of hours) or long (e.g. a week or more). Types of meetings include (but are not limited to):

• Board meetings
• Focus groups
• Training seminars
• Strategy planning
• Shareholder meetings
• Management meetings

Traditionally, meetings have been predominantly face-to-face, however recent years have seen a big shift towards virtual meetings, which was accelerated by the COVID pandemic and subsequent and rapid move to digital means around the world. This will likely result in the continued decrease of travel for the purpose of meetings in the coming years.

Incentive travel refers to travel that intends to motivate or reward company stakeholders. There are different types of incentive travel, including:

• Familiarisation trips
• Teambuilding trips
• Reward trips

Research has demonstrated that incentive travel is an important corporate culture builder. If you are looking for a way to motivate your staff and enhance productivity, retention and output throughout your business, then incentive travel is often a worthwhile investment.

A conference is an event that facilitates presentation, discussion and the showcasing of work within a professional network. Conferences are often important networking events and have been a prominent part of the business tourism industry to date.

Conferences can last a day or a week or more, depending on the structure and purpose. People have historically travelled great distances for the purposes of conferences, particularly in the travel and tourism sector.

Examples of travel and tourism related conferences include:

• Association for Tourism and Leisure Education and Research annual conference
• TBEX conferences for travel creators
• Sustainable tourism conference

Whilst COVID saw conference organisers adapt and move online during the pandemic, there will always remain a space for physical conferences. There is no replacement for the face-to-face networking opportunities that occur during conferences, thus physical conferences will be here to stay, although perhaps to a lesser scale. Many conferences may move towards a hybrid approach of online and physical attendance.

Exhibitions provide an opportunity for businesses to showcase their products or services. They are often in the form of trade shows.

Exhibitions will often include stalls, breakout rooms, discussion points, presentations and opportunities for networking. Exhibitions are often large events involving large amounts of people.

Popular exhibitions in the travel and tourism industry include:

• Travel Adventure Show
• World Travel Market
• Women in Travel Summit

MICE tourism has grown considerably in recent years. This growth has been particularly prominent in Asia, where tourism in countries such as China and India have increased significantly.

There have been more conferences organised and more exhibitions in recent years than ever before. This is in part due to a growing population worldwide. It is also because our world has become more interconnected and globalised , thus requiring more meetings, conferences and other events that require international travel.

MICE tourism can be beneficial to a destination’s economy. It also provides a wealth of opportunities for individual companies or organisations who want to put themselves on the international stage.

Other benefits ion MICE tourism include:

• It facilitates the access to new technology
• It attracts high-spending visitors
• It provides high yield and return per capita
• It enhances the international economic contact
• It creates more economic multiplier effect and competitiveness
• It can enhance off-peak tourism

MICE tourists often stay longer and spend more money than other tourists, making them important tourism stakeholders. MICE tourism can also help to contribute to community building, urban renewal, and growth of the national identity (Getz, 2008). Furthermore, MICE tourism can encourage development in a destination, particularly in the areas of convention and exhibition centers, improvements of airports and other transport infrastructure and various urban renewal schemes.

MICE tourism is a multifaceted industry, involving a number of tourism stakeholders . This includes:

•  Transport providers (international and domestic)
•  Accommodation providers
• Those who provide pre- and post-conference tour opportunities
•  Staff at specific venues – purpose built centres and hotels
•  Professional conference and exhibition organisers and catering services
•  Social program leaders for delegates and participants
•  Specialised technical support such as audiovisual services

The variety of stakeholders involved in MICE tourism indicates the potentially wide ranging economic impacts of MICE tourism. It also provides rationale for support from government agencies in many countries. It also indicates the scope of the challenges which must be met in coordinating the activities of different stakeholders to ensure that the MICE tourism industry is sustainable and effectively managed.

The MICE industry size was valued at $805 billion in 2017 and was expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.6% to reach $1,439.3 billion by 2025. However, COVID has had a drastic impact on this and this growth is expected to slow or even decline as a result.

MICE tourism is here to stay, but much of it has/will continue to move online, meaning that the monetary value is significantly reduced.

The continuing MICE tourism industry growth (whether physically or online) shall have a positive impact in the growth of businesses, cities and destinations around the world.

As I mentioned before, globalisation has played a huge role in the growth of the MICE tourism industry and it is anticipated that this will continue well into the future. Exactly how the MICE tourism industry may look in the future is not exactly clear, however.

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What is MICE Tourism?

Benefits, challenges and examples | 2024.

Are you ready to hear about the exciting world of MICE? it's all about bringing people together to network, learn, and have a great time! And the best part? You get to travel to all kinds of cool destinations around the world, from sunny beaches to bustling cities. So pack your bags, grab your business cards, and get ready to MICE it up!

What is MICE Tourism ?

• Corporate meetings: Events that bring together employees, clients, or partners to share information, collaborate, and strengthen relationships.
• Incentive travel: Reward trips offered to employees or clients for their high performance or specific achievements.
• Conventions: Large-scale gatherings of professionals from a specific industry or association to share knowledge, network, and develop new ideas.
• Exhibitions: Events that showcase products, services, and technologies to a target audience of potential buyers, distributors, and industry professionals.

The Different Types of MICE Tourism

Conferences, exhibitions.

The Benefits of MICE Tourism

MICE tourism offers a wide range of benefits for various stakeholders, including cities, businesses, and individuals. Here is a closer look at the key benefits:

For cities:

• Economic impact: MICE tourism generates significant revenue through direct and indirect spending, contributing to local economic growth and prosperity.
• Job creation: The MICE industry creates jobs in various sectors, including hospitality, transportation, event planning, and construction, leading to increased employment opportunities.
• Destination promotion: MICE events showcase cities to a global audience, promoting their attractions, infrastructure, and hospitality offerings, and attracting visitors and investment.
• Infrastructure development: Hosting MICE events can incentivize cities to invest in infrastructure development, such as improved transportation networks, convention centers, and hotels, benefiting both residents and visitors.
• Social and cultural benefits: MICE events can foster cultural exchange, promote social cohesion, and enhance the city’s image and reputation.

For businesses:

• Brand awareness and reputation: MICE events provide a platform to showcase brands, products, and services to a targeted audience, increasing brand awareness and enhancing reputation.
• Lead generation and sales: MICE events offer valuable opportunities to generate leads, connect with potential clients, and boost sales.
• Customer relationship management: MICE events provide a platform to strengthen relationships with existing customers, build loyalty, and enhance customer satisfaction.
• Employee motivation and retention: Incentive travel programs and corporate events can motivate employees, improve morale, and increase employee retention.
• Knowledge sharing and networking: MICE events facilitate knowledge sharing, collaboration, and networking among industry professionals, leading to innovation and business growth.

For individuals:

• Professional development: MICE events offer opportunities for professional development, learning, and skill enhancement through workshops, conferences, and seminars.
• Networking and career opportunities: MICE events provide valuable networking opportunities, allowing individuals to connect with peers, mentors, and potential employers, leading to career advancement.
• Personal enrichment and cultural experiences: MICE events offer unique experiences, cultural immersion, and opportunities to explore new destinations, broadening horizons and enriching personal lives.
• Memorable experiences: MICE events provide participants with memorable experiences, fostering positive memories and promoting a sense of community and belonging.

Overall, MICE tourism plays a vital role in promoting economic growth, job creation, destination promotion, and knowledge sharing. It offers a multitude of benefits for cities, businesses, and individuals, contributing to a vibrant and sustainable tourism industry.

The Challenges of MICE Tourism

MICE tourism , while offering numerous benefits, also presents various challenges that need to be effectively addressed for sustainable growth and success. Here are some key challenges:

1. High costs: Organizing and hosting MICE events can be expensive, involving venue rental, catering, transportation, accommodation, and other logistical costs. This can be a barrier for smaller businesses and organizations with limited budgets .

2. Competition: The MICE industry is highly competitive, with destinations and businesses vying for a share of the market. This requires effective marketing and branding strategies to differentiate and attract participants.

3. Economic and political factors: Economic downturns, political instability, and safety concerns can impact the MICE industry, leading to cancellations or reduced participation.

4. Seasonality: The demand for MICE events can be seasonal, with certain periods experiencing higher demand and others experiencing lower demand. This can create challenges for businesses and destinations in terms of resource allocation and staff scheduling.

5. Sustainability: The MICE industry can have a significant environmental impact, and there is a growing demand for sustainable practices. This includes reducing waste, energy consumption, and carbon emissions, and adopting eco-friendly practices throughout the event planning and execution process.

6. Technological advancements: The rapid evolution of technology requires MICE organizers to constantly adapt and adopt new technologies to enhance the event experience and stay competitive. This can involve integrating virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and other innovative technologies into events.

7. Changing customer expectations: Participants in MICE events increasingly expect personalized experiences, customized content, and seamless integration of technology. Meeting these expectations requires flexibility, innovation, and a focus on customer satisfaction.

8. Risk management: MICE events involve various risks, such as cancellations, accidents, and security breaches. Effective risk management strategies are essential to mitigate potential losses and ensure the safety and security of participants.

9. Human resource challenges: The MICE industry requires skilled professionals with expertise in event planning, management, marketing, and logistics. Attracting and retaining qualified talent can be a challenge, especially in competitive markets.

10. Data and analytics: Collecting and analyzing data on participant behavior, preferences, and trends can help MICE organizers make informed decisions, improve event planning, and optimize the overall experience. However, data privacy and security concerns need to be addressed.

The Top MICE Tourism destinations

Latest Trends in MICE Tourism

Key factors for successful mice tourism events.

Organizing a successful MICE tourism event requires meticulous planning and execution, catering to the specific needs and expectations of participants. Here are some key factors to ensure a positive outcome:

1. Defining clear objectives:

• Set SMART goals: Clearly define the event’s purpose, target audience, desired outcomes, and desired return on investment (ROI) using the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound).
• Align goals with stakeholders: Ensure that the event’s objectives align with the interests and needs of all stakeholders, including organizers, participants, sponsors, and the host destination.

2. Selecting the right destination and venue:

• Accessibility and infrastructure: Choose a location that is easily accessible for participants, with convenient transportation options and appropriate infrastructure, including accommodation, meeting spaces, and technology capabilities.
• Alignment with event theme: Consider how the destination and venue complement the event’s theme and overall experience.
• Cost-effectiveness: Evaluate the costs associated with the location and venue and ensure they align with the budget.

3. Engaging content and programming:

• Tailored content: Develop engaging and informative presentations, workshops, and activities that cater to the specific interests and needs of the target audience.
• Interactive elements: Incorporate interactive elements throughout the event to keep participants engaged and facilitate networking opportunities.
• Innovation and creativity: Consider incorporating innovative and creative elements to keep the event fresh and memorable.

4. Seamless logistics and organization:

• Detailed planning and communication: Develop a comprehensive timeline and plan, considering all logistical aspects like transportation, accommodation, catering, and technology. Communicate effectively with all stakeholders throughout the planning process.
• Contingency planning: Anticipate potential challenges and develop contingency plans to address them effectively.
• Professional team: Assemble a team of experienced and qualified professionals to handle various aspects of the event planning and execution.

5. Excellent customer service:

• Attentive and proactive service: Ensure participants feel valued and supported throughout the event. Provide attentive and proactive customer service, addressing their needs promptly and efficiently.
• Feedback mechanisms: Implement feedback mechanisms to gather participant feedback to continuously improve the event experience.

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What Is MICE? Your Guide to Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions

You’ve probably come across this acronym many times: MICE. But what does MICE stand for? And what is MICE?  

If you already know that it’s got more to do with meetings than fuzzy rodents, you’re on the right track. But there’s still a lot more to know about MICE. In a nutshell, it’s a key segment in the hospitality industry and, depending on a hotel’s set-up, MICE can generate over 50% of a property’s revenue.

Keep reading to find out about each MICE segment, which technology is used, the types of jobs and careers that are available, and much more. 

What is MICE? 

MICE is an acronym that stands for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions. In recent years, the terms "meetings industry" and "events industry" have been gaining popularity as alternatives for MICE.

It makes up a big part of global business travel since every industry has regular events of some kind. The main goal here is always to bring professionals together, foster connections, promote new ideas, and push growth.  

Traditionally, MICE encompasses mostly business events. Leisure events like concerts or festivals fall into a different category. However, many organisers now add leisure elements to larger events to better engage attendees and create a more memorable experience.

A closer look at the four pillars of MICE 

As outlined above, the MICE sector is made up of four main event types: meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions.  

In the past, the overwhelming majority of all these event types were held in person. In recent years, the trend of moving smaller gatherings to virtual spaces occasionally was on the rise. However, demand for hybrid and  virtual events skyrocketed due to COVID-19, leaving a deciding mark on the MICE industry.  

Still, the four pillars remain largely unchanged. Let’s take a look at them. 

Take an even deeper dive into MICE

Meetings are usually a single-day event held in hotel conference rooms or at convention centres. They can vary in size from only a small group of senior executives to larger gatherings like annual shareholder meetings.  

The purpose is to bring together people from one company, industry, or project to address challenges, discuss plans, and set goals. Catering is often kept simple and there’s rarely an entertainment program.

Incentives 

Incentives are probably the most fun part of the MICE segment. They include all types of travel rewards a company offers to individual staff, teams, or partners (e.g. affiliates). In this context, the goal of an incentive is to thank people for their great performance, boost morale, or increase employee loyalty.  

Incentives can take different forms depending on the company organising them. Some may send their team for an all-inclusive weekend trip to an out-of-town resort. Others might plan a variety of activities closer to home to encourage staff to bond in an informal setting. 

Conferences 

Think of conferences as supersized meetings. They often last more than one day and can vary in size, but usually they have more attendees than meetings. As with incentives, conferences can look very different depending on the organisers and the industry behind them.  

Common activities at conferences include one, a mix, or all of the below: 

• Panels: A group of experts discusses a topic and presents new findings. A moderator asks questions, ensures good flow, and may take questions from the audience.  
• Presentations: At a company conference, senior leaders may present the latest successes or results of the business. At public industry conferences, thought leaders may be invited as guest speakers to share the newest trends and insights. Presentations often rely on props, slides, or other visual elements.  
• Speeches: Also known as keynotes, speeches often mark the beginning or end of a conference. Sometimes it’s the host or organiser welcoming or thanking attendees for joining. Other times an industry leader may address an important issue and share ideas for solutions.  
• Discussions: They can be part of a panel. In this case, a select group talks about a topic while the audience listens. Some organisers use breakout rooms to encourage active debate among small groups of attendees.  
• Workshops : A small group of participants works on a specific problem case or researches a certain topic. This approach is a great way to offer attendees an interactive learning experience.  

The purpose of conferences varies, but usually, they’re meant to address and find solutions to challenges in a business or industry. Sharing new insights and research is a big part of that. So are networking and team-building activities. 

Exhibitions 

Also referred to as trade shows, exhibitions are usually massive events that draw thousands of visitors and exhibitors from around the world. They can last anywhere from several days to a week. Exhibitions are usually very industry-specific and have a well-defined target market. 

Exhibitors go to trade shows to present and promote their product or service, drive business, and liaise with existing and potential partners. Industry professionals go to network, find clients or jobs, and discover new ways to solve problems.  

Common activities at exhibitions can include one, a mix of, or all of the activities present at conferences, as well as:

• Networking events : Trade shows often have networking parties for subgroups among their attendees. This is a great place to meet potential partners, discuss collaborations, and exchange thoughts on current trends.  
• Awards: An award show is part of many exhibitions and honours industry leaders for their achievements. It also gives winners quite a PR and marketing push. Even if you’re not up for an award, it’s worth checking out the nominees for inspiration.   
• New business pitches: Since trade shows want to promote growth and innovation in their industry, there’s often a dedicated event for new business pitches. It’s great for start-ups to gain visibility, funding, clients, and job applicants.  

Why MICE business is important for hotels 

MICE is an important source of business for many hotels. First, exhibitors and attendees fill many rooms at properties with meeting facilities or close to convention centres. Second, a study from Hong Kong found that on average MICE guests pay 17.5% more than leisure guests.  

This is partly because having large events in town leads to high demand and the chance to charge premium room rates. Hotels that host on-site meetings or conferences may offer slightly discounted rates to organisers. However, they can drive additional revenue from meetings and F&B packages.  

Finally, MICE can be a reliable source of recurring revenue. Many conferences and trade shows happen at set intervals, so hotels plan their annual budgets with these events in mind. 

Leading MICE technology 

MICE technology has developed by leaps and bounds in the past years. Here are some of the most popular industry-leading examples. 

MICE technology for event organising and planning 

• Proposal management: Modern proposal management systems allow you to automate proposal creation. They also let you set up interactive microsites which are easier for clients to go through than cumbersome PDFs.  
• Supplier networks: Venues can be listed on these networks — like the Cvent Supplier Network™ — and get notifications when an organiser posts a request for an event proposal (RFP) . The benefit for event locations is that they can respond quickly to new RFPs and have access to international planners. 
• Event diagramming tools: They allow organisers to carefully plan their venue’s setup and floor plan . Every chair, table, booth, and hand sanitizer station can be included and mapped out. Especially in light of COVID-19, this is important to guarantee events comply with all local safety regulations.  
• Room block management: Tools like Cvent Passkey®  make it easier for hotels to manage event room blocks, all without endless rooming spreadsheets. They allow properties to provide organisers with a private booking link that feeds attendee bookings directly into the hotel’s reservation system.  

MICE technology at the event

• Facial recognition: This technology can be used to grant admission to registered attendees on Day 1 of the event. It also does away with the need for IDs or tickets since people entering can simply have their faces scanned.  
• Augmented, mixed, and virtual reality: As these technologies evolve, they create new chances for more immersive and engaging events. Especially for product demonstrations, presentations, or entertainment, AR and VR are opening endless new doors in the MICE industry.  
• Internet of Things: Web-based access control (think digital keys), thermostats, speakers, and lighting controlled via the internet: The Internet of Things makes it all possible and creates new ways for venues to tailor their service to the client’s needs.  
• Virtual event platforms: The increased demand for hybrid and virtual events created the need for sophisticated virtual platforms. Cvent’s Virtual Event Platform addresses that by offering an online space where organisers and attendees can network, engage, and interact.  

Starting a career in the MICE field 

As you can tell from previous sections, the MICE industry is a diverse industry that encompasses a wide variety of jobs . They all have one thing in common though: They’re demanding, require a high degree of flexibility, resourcefulness, communication skills, and resilience. And in many cases, they come with long hours and shifts on weekends or holidays. 

MICE jobs at a hotel level

At a hotel level, the sales and marketing teams take care of a lot of the organisational tasks related to MICE. They handle incoming inquiries, create offers, and liaise with other departments to realise the client’s vision for their event.  

Banquet managers look after the operational side of things. They plan set-up and tear-down, schedule the staff, and work with suppliers to ensure everything runs smoothly on the day. 

MICE jobs at an event location

Account and event managers at a concert hall or a convention centre look after a set of clients to support them in planning their events. They call in suppliers, get quotations, and participate in planning every detail. Depending on the event, they may attend to make sure everything runs smoothly.  

MICE jobs with large companies

Large companies that regularly host events often have an in-house events team. They take care of all the organisational tasks like outlining and planning events and communicating with the venues.

Inviting guests and planning entertainment is also their job, but they may call in an external planner to help with the latter. And of course, they’ll be on-site during the event to oversee the overall operation.  

How to find jobs in the MICE industry 

Staff are always in high demand in the MICE industry. It’s just a matter of where you look. If you have an ideal company you’d like to work for, check their job board. If you’re looking for a specific position, look at industry job boards like Hosco .

Alternatively, there are many industry-specific groups on Facebook or LinkedIn where recruiters often share open positions. You can even reach out to recruiters directly, submit your CV, and ask if they have listings matching your profile. 

Now you know the basics about the MICE industry! 

After reading so much about the MICE industry, you know what an exciting domain it is and how many moving parts it has. There’s a place for everyone, whether you’re a creative planner, a meticulous organiser, or a sociable salesperson. The best thing is that everyone works together to create the most fun and memorable event for their clients and attendees. 

How can we help?

Juliana Hahn

Juliana Hahn is a content creator and copywriter specialised in the hospitality and tourism industry. Before diving into the world of copywriting, she studied hotel management and worked in hotels around the globe. Today she leverages her industry experience to craft engaging content for hospitality tech companies, hotels and online publications. She also offers tutorials and resources on copywriting to help hotels boost direct bookings.

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July 5, 2019

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Posted on July 5, 2019

Mice tourism: the ultimate guide to understanding and meeting the needs of business travelers..

Table of Contents

MICE tourism acronym stands for Meeting , Incentive Travel, Conferences and Exhibitions .

The acronym MICE is a general term for the events industry itself. Despite involving different sizes and complexities, all of these event types got one thing in common. They’re all strongly related to business travel . Today, there are several webinars on business travels that highlights the features of MICE tourism and how you can leverage on them

Globally, this industry alone generated more than US$ 1 trillion worldwide in 2017. By 2025, this amount it is predicted to grow to an outstanding US$ 1,5 trillion mark. In addition, according to the same research, Incentive Travel is the modality experiencing the highest peak in the next months or even years.

What is MICE Tourism ?

The MICE Industry can be broken down into four big groups. Those groups sum up what the meetings industry is and, in general, have a similar overall purpose. Still, they have slight differences among themselves.

1. Meetings

• Business meetings could be anything from director-only board annual general meetings to a training seminar . Basically, any group of people gathering in a common location, for a common reason, is a type of meeting. Other examples include: strategic planning , shareholders meeting , management meetings , etc. 

2. Incentives

• Incentives are a way to motivate or reward associates, dealers or any employee of a company, according to their previous performance or as a way to build teamwork. As the context of travel varies, they can count with advisory of local convention bureaus of the targeted destinations. According to a survey done by The Incentive Search Foundation , Incentive Travel is a fundamental corporate culture builder. Some results about it’s effect include: 54% of respondent corporate buyers reported that they budget for it increased from 2017 to 2018. Resort retreats , annual summits and familiarization tours or even a day trip are common examples. Therefore, both the hospitality industry, as well as the tourism industry benefit directly from this kind of event.

3. Conferencing

• Corporate conferences usually gather a group of people by profession or personal interest in a specific field, looking for information exchange and discussion about a certain topic. These conventions require complex planning and itinerary organization well in advance. They differ from meetings mainly because of scale. A corporate or government conference / convention can have hundreds of participatory meetings happening simultaneously inside it as part of a program. Annual gatherings of industry associations and organizations are a big component of this sector.

4. Exhibitions

• Exhibitions are also known for their extensive planning. They usually are highly produced trade shows that bring products to their audience. Financial, Pharma, Beauty, Insurance, High-tech and other lead industries populate the largest exhibition centers with senior executives. They could be either businesses selling to other businesses (B2B) or straight to the final consumer (B2C). Larger fairs , despite having a clear target, might combine both modalities in the mix.

As MICE event has a limited duration, it can boost the economy of a whole city, country or region. Major international congresses exponentially increase hotel occupation and service consumption of local services. Thus, MICE events are considered one of the main solutions for the seasonality of destinations. There are so many opportunities in the meetings industry, that it might even become the main economic activity of a country.

Travel companies like Wowfare can help businesses plan and book MICE events, ensuring that all aspects of the trip are taken care of.

Besides, one needs to go out there and explore. MICE travelers are often keen to try a stay-cation . That means, after attending to a corporate event, visitors and participants can dedicate some time to get to know more about the place and it’s attractions. 

Tourism or Events Industry?

Firstly, buyers of MICE travelers usually are professional associations or corporations. Looking at that, it’s easy to understand that MICE is a strong and inseparable intersection of the Tourism and Events industry. Large groups always traveled on business.

Secondly, in modern times, DMO’s (Destination Marketing Organizations) and DMC’s (Destination Management Companies) proved the power of MICE tourism. Through the last decades, they generated long-term economic growth and development to their destinations. Look at Singapore, for instance. It is continuously cited in the 1st  position of Meeting City ranking of Union of International Associations (UIA) . It’s calculated that over 800 conventions take place in the city-state every year. In other words, that represents 8.5% of all the top international events in the planet.

In conclusion, MICE business model thrive by keeping up to date with corporate and entrepreneur tendencies. And that also includes selecting appealing destinations. For instance: cities like Orlando , Florida (FL) and Chicago , Illinois (IL) are ready to hold over 200 corporate conferences every year .

If we talk about Europe, research reports say that the beautiful and charming cities of Germany, for instance, generate an annual turnover of 290 billion Euros . In Spain, it generated 178 billion Euros in 2018, representing 14,6% of the country’s GDP . It’s an incredible growth rate that brought Spain to the Top 10 tourism market economies in the world, with China, Japan, Hong Kong, USA, France, Italy, India, Germany and United Kingdom. So it means that the events segment is bringing development, money and structure to theses venues, businesses, governments, etc.

Looking from inside: what experts in the field say.

  “I have no forecast to work in any other industry” , says Paula Lewis, Marcomm professional that organized events to brands such as Visit Florida and Choose Chicago.

That pretty much sums up how professionals in the field are in love with what they do. “The order here is: this industry is relationship driven. So it’s about understanding what makes people make decisions and with which frequency, what brings them happiness and what motivates them. Their psychological psyche makes MICE industry a perfect place to continue to grow personally and professionally ,” she continues.

After all, we can say the meeting and the tourism industries are walking entirely hand-in-hand . They ignite and model each other in a cycle that, when successful, can transform places. Because of that, businesses are increasingly incorporating experiences to their marketing strategy. But who are these traveler and what they look for? Many countries now use an electronic visa system, i.e. e-visa . Thanks to this, you do not have to carry the documents,and do everything almost automatically and remotely,which in the end will allow you to travel without restrictions almost all over the world. To streamline this process, services like VisaFly provide efficient and convenient e-visa solutions for hassle-free travel planning.

Reasons why MICE professionals and brand delegates love live events

It is a must to maintain an updated network of contacts and good relationships you your peers. And corporate events are excellent opportunities to meet experienced MICE professionals, visitorsand o ther MICE delegates. Creating connections, learning and keeping up with best international standards are a vital part of this industry.

Brand awareness

Corporate events strengthen the positioning of companies and increase their power within the market in which they operate. In other words, social gatherings, parties, conferences and celebrations are responsible for showing the public that business is going well. Leading associations, such as Meeting Professionals International (MPI), take these opportunities to show off their best workforce and how they have a vibrant community.

It is worth mentioning that the projects that are well positioned, are more likely to approach and retain customers, as they are well regarded by the public. It means that, in addition to notoriety for the market itself, the company also stands out before the competition and gains credibility with potential customers.

Professional development

The corporate events work on the development of the professionals already working in the company, through lectures, congresses and training opportunities.

The great advantage is in the technical improvement of employees, who can use their knowledge to improve production processes.

The development of professional skills also occurs when the company launches a new work organization, or proposes different management methods.

Thus, instead of tiring training, the event can be the ideal environment to communicate something, in a friendly way, about the work of employees.

Encourage teams and co-workers

Lack of motivation is one of the problems that most affects companies in Brazil. In addition to compromising productivity, demotivation also has negative consequences for the employee, such as increased stress, Burnout syndrome and even depressive conditions.

Therefore, corporate events can function as a motivating action, especially when aligned to meet the wishes of employees.

It is important to listen to what employees have to say, as they feel valued and, consequently, improve productivity.

Who are MICE travelers and what they look for.

“ MICE is a very particular type of tourism. It’s probably the most customer-centric industry ,” states Tracy Fuller, President of InnovativEvents and Event Heroes. She completes: “And to understand the client’s needs, you need to interpret beyond what they say.”

MICE events are useful for a no number of occasions. Let’s say: a company that spies their competitors must be present to the events where they’ll be. Not spying in an illegal way. It’s a compromise of keeping up with the latest trends and not staying left behind.

Another example of frequent MICE traveler is the solo expert that is going to prospect clients for their consultation services. These visitors are clearly attending to events to execute this particular activity. Thus, creating the possibility of exchange of information among this number of people is fundamental. Each one of these agents need to be in mind when planning incentive trips. Also, with Arangrant’s help, businesses can optimize their offerings and provide business travelers with a seamless and rewarding MICE tourism experience.

Sometimes, reasons people gather can also be Ideology. After all, what could be better for our ego than finding people who think like us? We, human beings, tend to look for belonging and a sense of community. So that can also be considered an Incentive Travel or a Meeting, as these participants are after a specific objective.

Above all, the secret to be highlighted here is: who’s the client? For the Event Planner, DMC, PCO, or Live Marketing Agency, the customer is a corporation or association in the pursue of having a successful event organized. For the event itself, the customer to take in consideration is the larger audience, composed by the attendees and visitors.

Audience types

In a general way, a good beginning is to clearly know how these travelers differ from leisure tourists.

MICE travelers also usually spend 17.5% more than leisure tourists . That includes expenses on lodging, hotel booking, food & beverage, facilities, air tickets and ground transportation to and from the congress they’ll attend. But as well, their demands and expectations might also be one level higher.

Key takeaways

Incentive travel, whether they’re large events or exclusive meetings, involve a lot of prior arrangement. So it can increase the value, predictable satisfaction and revenue for clients, agencies, suppliers, vendors and destinations.

Usually, we’re speaking about decision-makers here. However, don’t take it for granted. When planning a MICE, aim to start from the beginning, asking yourself the 5 W’s and the 2 H’s first:

• 5 W´s: What, to Whom, Why, Where and When.
• 2 H´s: How? How much ?

These are the most fundamental questions for common problem solving you’ll need to sort out when you start planning any MICE event . That’s the only way to reach goals, meet expectations and build up real, branded, rich and memorable experiences.

And whether you’re planning to break in the industry or are a experienced professional, there are also great resources on professional trade organizations and associations websites, such as IAPCO – International Association of Professional Congress Organizers . They have tons of updated info to help event pros and students to keep up to date

Did you like this content?

Don’t forget to check these other essential checklists to master event planning skills:

• 7 ways to market your event for free.
• How to choose a keynote speaker for your corporate event.
• Three steps to enhance your marketing strategy with recurrent events.

About the Author / InEvent

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2 responses to : mice tourism: the ultimate guide to understanding and meeting the needs of business travelers..

This guide on MICE tourism is mind-blowing. It breaks down complex concepts into easy-to-understand. It’s like a friend guiding you through the world of business travel. A must-read for anyone in the industry.

I’m thrilled to hear you found our guide on MICE tourism so helpful and easy to understand. We aimed to demystify the intricacies of the industry and provide valuable insights for professionals like you. It’s wonderful to know it resonated with you in such a meaningful way. Thank you for your kind words and for recommending our guide to others in the industry. If there are any specific topics or areas within MICE tourism you’d like us to explore further, please don’t hesitate to let us know. We’re here to support your journey in the world of business travel.

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What is MICE? (Meetings, incentives, conferences & exhibitions)

August 20, 2020 •

3 min reading

Putting the nice into MICE

Nothing to do with pest control, everything to do with business-minded travel. Put simply, MICE stands for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions. It is business tourism at its finest, aimed at bringing together top professionals from every sector in an enhanced, tailor-made hospitality setting.

What is MICE?

Meetings are typically held in hotel conference rooms or at convention centers. They are single-day events that bring together a group of professionals to address a key challenge or set goals for the organization.

Incentives are travel rewards a company may provide in return for excellent professional performance from individual employees, groups or partners. A few days in a resort, hotel or popular hospitality venue at your company’s expense does wonders for employee loyalty.

Conferences

Conferences take meetings to the next level and are designed for a large corporate group to share knowledge across several days. They often include not only key members of the organization, but also guest speakers and the general public.

Exhibitions

Exhibitions are essentially trade shows where an organization promotes its key products and services to the public. They are hyper-focused events that drum up business and help employees to network and build lasting professional relationships.

MICE services: Revenue implications

Implementing tailor-made MICE services into a hotel infrastructure is a way of securing additional long-term valuable growth. The latest Convention Industry Council report claimed that 85% of meetings in the U.S. are conducted at venues with lodging, generating more than 275 million room nights annually. The expenditure of MICE travelers is much higher than leisure travelers, with profitable customers coming from the world of IT, banking, pharmaceuticals, retail and hospitality.

In brief, hotel meetings and corporate events are great way to boost revenue and secure those extra bookings. Lastly, developing MICE services is the perfect opportunity to enhance a hotel’s reputation and profile, besides its profitability.

MICE: Required skills

The expertise required to excel in MICE tourist management is based on interpersonal, creative, organizational and technical skills. Innovative creativity is needed to design original event concepts, select the right venues and market effectively. The strong practical component must include technical know-how ranging from audio-visual dexterity to accessing fast-track visa apps. Soft skills such as patience, empathy, teamwork and problem-solving are vital if, for example, a large traveling party from a culturally-specific region are to be greeted with the appropriate welcome drink.

This niche hospitality market has seen hotels having to create jobs for innovative meeting planners and professional conference services staff, as well as develop industry-specific programs to add new dimensions to their overall service infrastructure. In some cases, recruiting in-house can prove difficult if all competencies are to be met, hence the rise in Destination Management Companies (DMC) that have started to spring up worldwide.

A DMC aims to offer the full range logistic services in their specialist destinations: meet & greet, transfers & transportation, hotel accommodation, restaurants, activities, excursions, conference venues, themed events and gala dinners. They are often able to provide preferential rates based on the buying power that they have with their preferred suppliers.

MICE: Global events

A number of global events focus on MICE travel, especially the incentive niche, many of which are organized by Questex Travel Group (formerly MEET). Of the annual events, these are some of the most prominent in the industry around the world:

• Global Meeting & Incentive Travel Exchange (GMITE): Formerly known as Incentive Travel Exchange (ITE).
• Latin America Meeting & Incentive Travel Exchange (LAMITE): Working to connect business opportunities in Latin America.
• Caribbean Meeting & Incentive Travel Exchange (CMITE): The island version of the ITE.

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Business Guidance

What is MICE?

• Understanding business to business opportunities

The Role of International Travel Trade

How tourism ni can develop working with the travel trade, mice stands for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions and it represents a lucrative part of the tourism mix across the globe. mice can also be referred to as business tourism or business events..

1: How much is it worth?

In Northern Ireland alone, it is estimated that conferences generate approximately £50m per annum for the local economy with incentives & corporate travel also generating significant income. In 2016, Business Events were worth approximately €715m in the Republic of Ireland and x globally. Business visitors are particularly attractive given they are worth approximately 3 times that of the average leisure visitor and they tend to visit in shoulder and off peak months of the year.

2: What does Northern Ireland offer the MICE sector?

Many factors underpin our proposition to the MICE sector -

• Investment in MICE infrastructure such as the recently extended ICC Belfast, Northern Ireland’s only purpose built convention centre.
• Compact walkable cities in Belfast & Derry-Londonderry
• Destination appeal and investment in experiences that delegates can enjoy
• The quality, professionalism and enthusiasm of our people – a Team Northern Ireland approach
• Passionate Ambassadors representing our sectoral strengths.
• Investment in Sales & Marketing activity supported by Tourism Northern Ireland

3: Know the commonly used MICE terms

DMC – Destination Management Company

A professional services company, possessing extensive local knowledge, expertise and resources, specializing in the design and implementation of events, activities, tours, transportation and programme logistics.

PCO – Professional Conference Organiser

This is a company that specialises in the management of conferences. The company acts as a consultant to the organising committee or headquarter organisation, enacting its decisions and assisting to fulfil their objectives, whilst utilising the experience and knowledge it has gained over many years in organising events.

Incentive travel is a global management tool that uses an exceptional travel experience to motivate and/or recognise participants for increased levels of performance in support of organisational goals. Traditionally Incentive Programmes were typically aimed at Sales people. Now, a range of roles can qualify and earn the reward. Incentive programmes used to be about opulence but “ experience” is the new buzz word in the Incentive world and this is where Northern Ireland can shine with its authentic experiences and Giant Spirit.

RFP stands for “Request for Proposal”. It is a  document that a buyer sends to the destination suppliers when requesting their proposal for future services. It can come direct to a DMC or a hotel.

A “ familiarisation” trip is an educational visit to the destination to experience at first hand what is offered. Participants are usually international buyers who have potential business for the destination. Tourism NI delivers a full programme of Fam Trips in partnership with Tourism Ireland and Visit Britain as well as delivering its own programme. These trips are usually fully hosted by Tourism NI.

RDA TOURISM

The Ultimate Guide to MICE Travel: Everything You Need to Know

Embarking on business travel involves meticulous planning and strategic execution. In this comprehensive guide, we delve into the intricacies of MICE Travel , providing Business Travel Managers with essential insights to ensure smooth and successful corporate journeys.

What is MICE Travel?

MICE, an acronym for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions, is a specialized niche in the travel industry. This section unveils the multifaceted nature of MICE travel and its significance for business professionals.

Meetings: This includes business meetings, conferences, and seminars where people gather to discuss specific topics, share information, and make decisions.

Incentives: Incentive travel involves offering rewards, such as trips or experiences, to employees or business partners to motivate or reward them for achieving specific goals or milestones.

Conferences: Similar to meetings, conferences are larger gatherings focused on specific topics, often with multiple sessions, speakers, and participants. They are usually more formal and structured.

Exhibitions/Events: This involves organizing and attending trade shows, exhibitions, and other events where businesses showcase their products and services, and participants can network and learn about industry trends.

Challenges of MICE Travel

MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions/Events) travel comes with challenges that organizers and participants may encounter. Some common challenges include:

Logistics and Coordination:

Organizing large-scale events involves coordinating various logistical aspects such as venue selection, accommodation, transportation, catering, and technology support. Ensuring seamless coordination among different service providers can be a complex task.

Budgetary Constraints:

MICE events often require substantial financial investments. Managing and adhering to budgets can be challenging, especially when unexpected costs arise during the planning and execution phases.

Technology Issues:

Reliance on technology for presentations, communication, and event management introduces the risk of technical glitches, connectivity issues, or equipment failures. This can disrupt the flow of events and negatively impact the participant experience.

Visa and Travel Regulations:

Participants from different countries may face challenges with visa requirements and travel regulations. Navigating these issues and ensuring all attendees can travel to the event destination can be a logistical hurdle.

Security Concerns:

Safety and security are paramount in event planning. Addressing concerns related to the safety of participants, protecting sensitive information, and preparing for emergencies requires thorough planning and risk management.

Environmental Sustainability:

With increasing awareness of environmental issues, there is a growing expectation for events to be environmentally sustainable. Balancing the need for travel with eco-friendly practices and minimizing the ecological impact of large gatherings can be challenging.

Cultural Sensitivity:

Events often involve participants from diverse cultural backgrounds. Understanding and respecting cultural differences is crucial to creating an inclusive and comfortable environment for all attendees.

Market Saturation:

Popular MICE destinations may face market saturation issues, leading to increased competition for venues, accommodations, and other services. This can drive up costs and limit event planners’ options.

Changing Trends and Technologies:

Maintaining evolving trends in the MICE industry, such as new technologies, innovative event formats, and changing participant expectations, requires adaptability and continuous learning.

Post-Event Evaluation:

Evaluating the effectiveness of MICE events necessitates conducting post-event assessments. The process involves collecting feedback, analyzing data, and gauging the event’s influence on business goals. While challenging, this evaluation is crucial for ongoing enhancements and refining future event planning strategies.

Ideal Solutions for Successful MICE Travel

Integrated event management platforms:.

Employing comprehensive event management platforms streamlines the planning process. These tools often centralize registration, communication, and logistics tasks, providing a cohesive and efficient solution for MICE travel organizers.

Strategic Budget Planning:

Implementing strategic budget planning involves a meticulous approach to financial management. Event planners can optimize budgets for MICE travel by forecasting expenses accurately, identifying cost-saving opportunities, and allocating resources efficiently.

Global Collaboration Tools:

Utilizing collaboration tools with global reach facilitates seamless communication and coordination among stakeholders across different locations. Virtual meeting platforms, project management tools, and collaborative software enhance efficiency and overcome geographical barriers in MICE travel planning.

Technological Innovation:

Embracing technological innovations enhances the overall MICE travel experience. Incorporating virtual and augmented reality, interactive apps, and cutting-edge presentation tools can elevate engagement levels and keep events at the forefront of technological advancements.

Comprehensive Risk Management:

Implementing a robust risk management strategy involves identifying potential challenges and developing mitigation plans. This includes considering factors such as health and safety protocols, crisis response plans, and contingency measures to ensure the smooth execution of MICE events.

Sustainable Event Practices:

Emphasizing sustainable event practices aligns with growing environmental consciousness. This involves reducing the carbon footprint of events, minimizing waste, and choosing eco-friendly options for venues, accommodations, and other event-related services.

Data-Driven Insights:

Leveraging data-driven insights involves using analytics tools to gather and analyze relevant data from MICE events. This information can inform decision-making, highlight success areas, and identify improvement opportunities, contributing to the overall success of future events.

How does RDA TOURISM Optimize MICE Travel Experiences?

RDA TOURISM optimizes MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) travel experiences by offering tailored packages that cater to the specific needs of business travellers. The organization integrates technology for streamlined registration processes and real-time event updates, facilitates networking opportunities, and provides comprehensive logistical support, including transportation coordination and on-site assistance. Incorporating local cultural experiences and sustainability initiatives enhances the trip, while feedback mechanisms ensure continuous improvement. Collaborating with local businesses provides access to high-quality services, contributing to a seamless and enriching MICE travel experience.

MICE travel encompasses specific events and activities beyond typical business trips, emphasizing collective experiences and strategic objectives.

Success lies in personalization and aligning incentives with individual preferences, fostering a positive and memorable experience for participants.

Absolutely. Networking is a cornerstone of conference success, offering opportunities for collaboration, partnership, and industry insights.

Successful exhibitions prioritize engaging experiences, effective communication, and strategic booth placement to attract and retain visitors.

Logistics are crucial for seamless MICE travel, encompassing transportation, venue coordination, and accommodation to ensure a smooth event.

Consider location, amenities, and business-friendly facilities when selecting accommodations, ensuring the comfort and convenience of your business travelers.

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MICE Travel: What It Is & Why You Should Hop on the Bandwagon

As a tour operator and travel expert, you’ve likely heard the term MICE thrown around a time or two at least. Even though it may sound like someone virtually yelling at you about small rodents, it’s not something to ignore. In fact, it’s something you should consider incorporating it into your current tour business.

FOR STARTERS, WHAT DOES MICE MEAN?

MICE stands for “meetings, incentives, conventions/conferences, and exhibitions”. According to Tarun Bhardwaj of Financial Express (opens in a new tab) , MICE “has now become an integral part of the international travel and hospitality industry” — and as an industry, it was valued at 752 billion USD in 2016, according to various reports. MICE travel typically refers to corporate groups traveling with a particular motive in mind, whether that would be to attend an international meeting, enjoy the benefits of an incentive trip, participate in a conference or conventions, etc. Think of it as an audience that could be accessible to any tour operator (provided you’re interested in hosting them, of course).

WHY SHOULD YOU CATER TO MICE GROUPS?

With an increase in European spending on MICE travel (opens in a new tab) , this market is on the rise. More countries and companies are looking to spend more on international conferences and destination meetings, and more than 50% of all business travel is MICE tourism (opens in a new tab) , according to Galina Kulakova of Amara . MICE groups are also known to spend more overall, since the company tends to cover a majority, if not all of the costs, allowing travelers a higher spending power. This is great not only for your business itself, but for your local economy, especially if you are in a location where the tourism sector is still in development. It can also be a great solution to reducing seasonal limitations (opens in a new tab) if you find yourself in a bit of a rut during the shoulder or low seasons.

NOW WE KNOW YOU WHAT MICE GROUPS ARE AND WHY YOU SHOULD MARKET TO THEM. BUT WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THEM?

This entirely depends on the type of group that you’re hosting, but if a MICE group is choosing your company, then they like what they see, so think of it as a custom group tour. Establish what they need to accomplish on their trip (including the purpose of the trip as well as what they want to do or see), how many people will be in the group, when they will be arriving, how long they will be staying, and everything in between. Apart from the logistics, there are a few tips that the team here at Tourism Tiger deem worthy of your consideration.

1. Become an expert on your location & make connections

Our clients at Chicago Travel & Tours (opens in a new tab) have hosted multiple MICE groups in the past, and have told us quite a bit about their experience during the build of their new website. Not only do they position themselves as the experts in the Chicago area, they have also taken the time to make friends with other businesses and individuals in the area. The Idea is to provide themselves with a larger range when it comes to activities they can offer. Consider who you can make connections with in your area, and take steps to meet them and talk business. For example, say you are based in Chicago, just like Chicago Travel & Tours. Maybe you find a connection with some administrators over at Wrigley Field to see if you could arrange some private tours of the stadium or meet the Chicago Cubs’ team manager. Maybe you reach out to the Shedd Aquarium and see what unique opportunities could arise from that. Try to ask yourself what you think would be fun or exciting to do — chances are, the people that are choosing your company to hang out with are going to share the sentiment.

2. Consider the needs of your potential clients & get creative

As we tend to recommend what is best for our clients, you need to think about what is best for yours and what makes your area special. In this case, we’re asking you to go above and beyond, since surely, your business is already taking advantage of what makes your area special (opens in a new tab) , right?

Most MICE groups are going to need a few key items though! Accommodating facilities (think conference rooms), technical equipment for events (like WiFi), catering, and security are all necessary things to account for and provide. While those things may seem boring, it’s time to scout out the places that not only offer those necessities, but can also give this group a true taste for your location. Maybe you find a nice conference room in a local art museum or a catering company that can provide your group’s native cuisine with a local twist. The possibilities are endless!

3. Provide sample or past itineraries

Once you start advertising that you can accommodate MICE groups, it’s likely that those getting in touch with you are shopping around. One of the best ways to convince them that you’re the company for them is to provide sample itineraries, real or imagined. With physical examples of what you can do for them, they are more likely to book with you and have a better sense of what they want. Keep in mind that the person you’ll be in touch with is likely Representative Ryan, the personality that is looking to satisfy a diverse group of people. Follow tip #2 and get creative! Offer a wide variety of activities and possibilities so they can clearly see your range and ability. Make your itineraries detailed so they know you’re on top of it.

But, most of all…

4. Be yourself

At the end of the day, you’re good at what you do because you’re you! You know your area and your business better than anyone, and with the right marketing and advertising, you will attract the right group of people for you. Adapt MICE travel criteria to fit into your business, not the other way around.

If you’re looking to incorporate a page into your website to target the MICE audience, it’s best you leave that to the professionals. Get in touch with us today , and we’ll handle it.

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• Published: 05 November 2020

COVID-19 impact and survival strategy in business tourism market: the example of the UAE MICE industry

• Asad A. Aburumman 1  

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications volume  7 , Article number:  141 ( 2020 ) Cite this article

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• Business and management

Today the industry of meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions, commonly known under the name of MICE, contributes to economic diversification and actively stimulates the rational use of cultural-historical and natural recreational resources. As of 2019, the total contribution of the tourism sector to the GDP of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) equalled 11.5 per cent. More than 2.3 million visitors cited business as their main purpose of travel to Dubai in 2019, marking a two per cent increase compared to 2018. Thus, the UAE MICE industry was among the global leaders before the COVID-19 pandemic occurred. As a result of severe quarantine measures, the majority of destinations all over the world introduced COVID-19-related travel restrictions that were valid until May 2020. In the UAE, like in any other country, the coronavirus pandemic affected every industry, and especially the MICE one. Even though the consequences of COVID-19 have been multiply analysed by many UAE researchers, its global and local impact on the MICE industry, as well as the strategies for MICE companies’ survival, are described insufficiently. This study aimed to investigate the COVID-19 impact on both the global and the UAE MICE markets and identify a competitive survival strategy for tourism companies on the example of those operating in the UAE. The research revealed that under the conditions of harsh travel restrictions and closed borders, the UAE MICE industry is faced with a sharp reduction of demand. Emirati Airlines, hotels, and other tourism-related businesses have experienced significant material losses. In particular, the drop in scheduled departure flights comprised 82%. The multiplicative analysis performed in the course of the study identified the 5P marketing strategy and an outsourcing method as an optimal solution for MICE companies’ survival and recovery. The study results can be used by MICE businesses or researchers using specific company and market data for developing strategies aimed at overcoming COVID-related crisis and increasing the competitiveness of MICE companies in particular and the market as a whole.

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Introduction

The development of MICE industry (meetings, incentives, conferences and events) contributes to economic diversification, stimulates the rational use of cultural and natural-recreational resources, and enables a balanced growth of the whole tourism sector (Manzoor et al., 2019 ; Astakhova, 2019 ). For the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the tourism sector is especially important as a driver of national gross domestic product (GDP). As stated by the Dubai Annual Visitor Report 2019, at the end of 2019, tourism was responsible for contributing an impressive 11.5 per cent in GDP value. Furthermore, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Cities Report, Dubai’s tourism sector was ranked one of ‘Top 10’ strongest economic share generators (Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Market, 2020 ).

More than 2.3 million visitors cited business as their main purpose of travel to Dubai in 2019, marking a two per cent increase compared to 2018 (Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Market, 2020 ). According to the Dubai Annual Visitor Report, in 2019, Dubai held 301 meetings, conferences and incentives organised by Dubai Business Events, thereby bidding for 595 events in 2020. In the year 2019, Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC) welcomed its record 3.57 million delegates, which declared the visitation growth of up to four per cent from the previous year. Such an increase was driven by 349 MICE and business events, 97 of which were large scale with over 2000 attendees. Since 2019, international participation in DWTC events grew by 15 per cent (equivalent to 1.2 million visitors), underlining the strong benefits the world businesses see in coming to Dubai with the aim of sharing knowledge, networking and accelerating their development (Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Market, 2020 ). Last year, the business tourism events accounted for 3.3% of GDP, which amounts to USD 3.57 billion (Dubai World Trade Centre, 2019 ). The business tourism was a key element in stimulating the national economic growth and in the nearest future was supposed to reach intense development, making the UAE among the central players in the global MICE industry (Rogerson, 2017 ; Dubai Tourism, 2020 ). However, the introduced quarantine ruined these plans.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to more than 4.3 million confirmed cases and more than 290.000 deaths worldwide. It raised fears of an impending economic crisis and recession. Social distancing, self-isolation, and travel restrictions have reduced the workforce in all sectors of the economy and have led to the loss of many jobs (Nicola et al., 2020 ; Tsindeliani, 2019 ).

Due to the lack of a vaccine and very limited treatment options, non-pharmaceutical interventions occurred to be the primary strategy to contain the pandemic. Unprecedented global travel restrictions and appeals to stay at home have caused the most critical disruptions of the global economy since World War II. Given the international travel bans that affect more than 90% of the global population and widespread restrictions on public gatherings and community mobility, tourism largely ceased in March 2020 (Gössling et al., 2020 ). Since the quarantine introduction, millions of jobs in the global tourism sector were lost due to flight, event and hotel cancellations (Siddiquei and Khan, 2020 ).

Given that international arrivals exceeded 1.5 billion for the first time only in 2019, the long-term evolution of tourism is proved to be greatly dependent on a decade of growth since the global financial crisis. Though, this last period of unhindered business tourism development has suddenly come to an end with the COVID-19 (Brouder, 2020 ).

Accompanied by quarantine in most countries and closed borders worldwide, COVID-19 pandemic heavily hit the MICE industry. The majority of domestic and international airlines were forced to cancel their flights due to severe quarantine measures and a lack of passengers, as people were frightened (Hoque et al., 2020 ).

The MICE industry was undermined by government efforts to contain and combat the pandemic. Borders were closed, trips banned, social and business events cancelled, and people were ordered to stay in their homes. By taking these actions, governments around the world sought to strike a balance between maintaining their economies and preventing dangerous levels of unemployment and deprivation. They tried to respond to public health imperatives to prevent the health systems’ collapse and mass deaths (Higgins-Desbiolles, 2020 ).

After months of unprecedented disruptions, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) reported that the tourist sector begins to revive in some areas, especially in the Northern Hemisphere. At the same time, travel restrictions remained valid for most global destinations, and business tourism continued to be among the most affected sector of all (World Tourism Organization, 2020a ).

Although Dubai’s tourism sector announced reopening the city for international tourism on July 7, 2020, people worldwide were still afraid of travelling. Consequently, the numbers of international arrivals in Dubai were far from those before March 2020 (Dubai Tourism, 2020 ).

Today, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues and the second wave is forecasted by epidemiologists, political and business leaders are wondering if the recession in the markets and the economy truly signals a recession; how serious the COVID-19 recession will be; what will be the growth and recovery scenarios, and whether there will be any lasting structural impact from the unfolding crisis. However, all the forecasts and indices will not disclose the virus trajectory, the effectiveness of containment measures, and the reactions of consumers and companies. For now, there is no single figure that can reliably reflect or foresee COVID-19’s economic impact, especially on the MICE market dependent on international travel and public events (Carlsson-Szlezak et al., 2020 ). Even though the pandemic has been on the run for several months only, the global and market-related losses are huge. Nevertheless, now it is extremely difficult to assess them due to the lack of sufficient statistical data and unwillingness of some companies, industries and countries, especially the developing ones, to disclose the level of economic decline (Stock, 2020 ).

Despite the existence of numerous studies dedicated to COVID-19 and its estimated effect on economies and industries, poor attention was given to the global and local impact of coronavirus disease on the MICE industry and to strategies for MICE companies’ survival. The MICE industry of the UAE is chosen as a case study due to its leading position at the global MICE market before the pandemic-related crisis occurred.

The aim of the study is to investigate the global and local impact of COVID-19 on the MICE industry and identify a competitive survival strategy for MICE companies taking the UAE business sector as an example.

With the purpose of achieving the goals set, the following tasks were formulated:

Assess the effect of coronavirus pandemic on the global tourism market and MICE industry in the UAE;

Select indicators of economic efficiency to compute the profitability of MICE companies in the UAE;

Suggest a strategy for MICE business survival in the context of outsourcing in a globalised economy heavily influenced by COVID-19 (on the example of the UAE).

Literature review

Business trips and business tours are somewhat similar in terms of event tourism education (Holloway and Humphreys, 2019 ). The difference lies in the very essence of the event, but the mechanisms are generally the same. The fact that Abu Dhabi and Dubai are among the most important business centres of today increases the role of business tourism and its share in the country’s tour production (Zhamgaryan, 2017 ). Numerous conferences, business congresses, and diplomatic visits constitute the major drivers of business tourism (Sovet et al., 2016 ).

Literature on the use of tourism infrastructure and tourism management distinguishes the following principles that most countries rely upon:

Tourism and product topologies, territoriality research.

The presence of private and public travel companies and agencies.

Resources and recreational opportunities, tourist flows and service offers.

Independent choice of tourism agencies.

Communication with a client through outsourcing in business tourism creates an opportunity for world leaders in this industry to quickly grow and solve multiple problems, including the global ones caused by COVID-19 pandemic.

To survive, tourism agencies need to make efficient use of all reserves (Kuznetsov and Kizyan, 2017 ). Ensuring survival through competitiveness is a dynamic process aimed at long-term gain. The main goal of managing corporate competitiveness in the MICE industry is to create sustainable competitive advantages that can recover the position of MICE agencies and enable their financial performance in the post-pandemic environment (Nukusheva et al., 2020 ).

Existing studies on competitiveness in the tourism industry emphasise the importance of infrastructure and support services for environmental sustainability (Croes, 2010 ; Jovanović and Ilić, 2016 ; Kastenholz et al., 2012 ; Mihalicˇ, 2013 ; Reitsamer and Brunner‐Sperdin, 2017 ; Zehrer et al., 2016 ). Managing tourist behaviour also contributes to sector competitiveness (Reisinger et al., 2019 ). Previous researchers relied on a survey of tourism experts and key tourism stakeholders (Andrades and Dimanche, 2019 ). Some scholars made use of a mixed (quantitative-qualitative) method to measure competitiveness of a given industry in Iran (Boroomand et al., 2019 ). Others have developed their own industry competitiveness indices. For instance, some authors used data from the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index produced by the World Economic Forum in a global analysis of industry competitiveness (Gómez-Vega and Picazo-Tadeo, 2019 ; Nazmfar et al., 2019 ), while others addressed alternative sources of information (Gu et al., 2019 ; Lopes et al., 2018 ).

Using structural equation modelling to the impact of tourism industry recovery and growth on environmental sustainability proves the presence of environmental degradation (Pulido-Fernández et al., 2019 ). The results of PROMETHEE and GAIA analysis from the competitiveness study of Portuguese tourist destinations revealed local competitors with their strengths and weaknesses. Among effective indicators are a sound tourism infrastructure and the potential of tourism destinations to grow through the adoption of public policies or private initiatives (Lopes et al., 2018 ).

The competitiveness of the MICE industry is considered with regard to subjective assumptions about competitiveness and significance of single indicators for sustainable development (Safarova, 2015 ). For example, Porter developed a universal model of micro-level competition. Poon’s framework for tourism competitiveness is built on innovative processes, quality, and privatisation. The WES model is a macroeconomic framework that takes into account tourism policies. In Dwyer’s model, the price component is recognised as a major component. The Crouch-Ritchie model integrates a whole range of tourism competitiveness factors, systematising global forces that pose challenges and open opportunities for tourism (Mazurek, 2014 ). The comparative study of Slovenia and Serbia tourism sectors using a modified IPA matrix identified the areas for improvement and actions for closing the gap between importance and performance of the MICE industry (these relate to the creation and adoption of innovative products) (Dwyer et al., 2016 ).

Materials and methods

With the purpose of analysing the impact of COVID-19 on global and the UAE MICE market, quantitative and qualitative analysis methods were used to evaluate the following data (in relative and absolute values):

World GDP growth rates for 2019, 2020 and 2021;

UAE GDP growth rates for 2019, 2020 and 2021;

International tourist arrivals for 2019 and 2020 (globally and by country);

Global international tourist arrivals from 2000 to 2020;

Global international tourist receipts from 2000 to 2020;

Employment loss in the travel, tourism and aviation industries in 2020;

Losses in travel, tourism and aviation industries in 2020;

Scheduled departure flights in January–December 2019 and January–July 2020 (globally and by country).

The following sources were used to retrieve the above data:

Previous studies;

Reports of the World Bank;

Reports of the World Tourism Organization;

Reports of the World Travel and Tourism Council;

Reports of the OAG company;

Reports of Dubai Corporation of Tourism and Commerce Marketing;

Reports of Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing;

Reports of Dubai World Trade Centre;

Statista Global Business Data Platform;

Official website of UAE-Consulting company;

Reports of the Oxford Analytica consulting firm.

The current analysis framework includes indicators that are interconnected to achieve a more accurate characterisation of the quality of decision-making. The DuPont System of Analysis is designed to compute the Return on Investment. This multiplicative model is frequently used by managers to assess the impact of quantity, price, and nomenclature on the revenue, as well as to analyse the structure of marginal profit, cost, and coefficient ratios (DuPont model, 2015 ). This study integrates the DuPont analysis model with the gross profit from the sale indicator to measure the profitability of MICE companies. The gross profit from the sale helps to assess the impact of the travel service cost on the company’s profitability, improving the overall result of economic analysis. The modified formula has the following form:

Where P MICE represents the MICE company’s profitability (in %);

NP represents the net profit from the sale, USD;

IS represents the income from the sale, USD;

GP represents the gross profit from the sale, USD;

NI represents the net income from the sale, USD.

The study applies a statistical method to collect data on the MICE industry competitiveness and behaviour of consumers (data to develop a forecast). With this method, managers can more efficiently make decisions on business recovery and competitiveness strategies. The dependence between the number of service offers and factors of the MICE industry is expressed via the production function model. This model is built around the number of people employed and the outsourcing strategy spending.

It should be noted that since no reliable data on the MICE industry recovery are available to date, some figures necessary for calculations were used from the pre-pandemic period. As soon as actual data are available, more accurate calculations can be made.

Results and discussion

Covid-19 impact on global and country tourism market.

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (World Tourism Organization, 2020 b), as of May 2020, 100% of destinations worldwide had travel restrictions associated with COVID-19. The pandemic has significantly impacted every sector of the travel and tourism industry: airlines, transportation, cruise lines, hotels, restaurants, attractions (such as national parks, protected areas and cultural heritage sites), travel agencies, tour operators and online travel organisations. Small and medium-sized enterprises and micro-firms, which include a large informal tourism sector, account for about 80 per cent of the tourism sector, and many of them may not survive the crisis without substantial support. This will lead to a domino effect in the entire tourism supply chain, affecting livelihoods in agriculture, fisheries, creative industries and other services. The loss of jobs in the MICE industry has a disproportionate effect on women, youth and the indigenous population. Women-owned and operated MICE companies are often smaller in size and have fewer financial resources to counter the crisis. Women hold such frontline positions in the tourism industry as housekeeping and front desk staff, which puts a particular risk to their health (Twining Ward and McComb, 2020 ).

According to the World Bank, the world GDP is expected to decline by 5.21% in 2020 (the decrease in 2019 comprised 2.38%) and grow by 4.16% in 2021. The dynamics of GDP of the United Arab Emirates will comprise −4.5% (compared to 1.7% growth in 2019), followed by the estimated increase by 1.4% in 2021 (World Bank, 2020 ).

In 2019, the direct, indirect and induced impact of travel and tourism industry accounted for 10.3% of the global GDP (USD 8.9 trillion) and 330 million jobs, or 1 in 10 jobs globally. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020, the global travel and tourism market is predicted to see a loss of 121 million jobs worldwide and USD 3,435 billion in global GDP (World Travel and Tourism Council, 2020 ).

According to the data of the World Tourism Organization ( 2020a ), the United Nations agency taking charge of the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism, as of June 22, 2020, the global fall in international tourist arrivals comprised 44% compared to 2019 (Fig. 1 ).

Source: developed by the authors based on data adapted from the World Tourism Organization ( 2020a ).

As shown in Fig. 1 , the most significant decrease in terms of international arrivals in January–April of 2020 experienced the Asia and the Pacific region (51%) followed by Europe (44%) and the Middle East (40%). The decline in international arrivals in the Americas and Africa equalled 36 and 35%, respectively (UNWTO, June 22, 2020).

In early May 2020, the UNWTO has outlined three possible scenarios for the MICE industry which indicate a potential decrease in the total number of international tourists from 58 to 78%, depending on when travel restrictions are lifted. Since mid-May, UNWTO has identified an increase in the number of destinations announcing measures to resume tourism. These include the introduction of enhanced safety and hygiene measures and policies aimed at developing domestic tourism (World Tourism Organization, 2020b ).

Geographically, the regions with the biggest relative drop in international tourist arrivals during January–April 2020 are Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and Western, Southern and Southeastern Asia (Fig. 2 ) Footnote 1 .

Source: developed by the authors based on data adapted from the World Tourism Organization ( 2020c ).

According to Fig. 3 , the largest absolute decrease in international tourist arrivals experienced Spain (10.8 million), followed by Thailand (7.3), Turkey (4.4), Singapore, Mexico, Italy, Vietnam (3.6 million each), Austria (3.2) and the United States (3.1) Footnote 2 Footnote 3 .

Despite several countries have positive values of international tourist arrivals (the United Arab Emirates, Belgium, Ireland, Jamaica, Guyana, Cayman Islands and Vanuatu), the data available in UNWTO report for them is for February 2020, when COVID-19-related travelling restrictions were not so severe. The same goes to a number of other countries with low decrease results (Aruba, Bhutan and Martinique).

The international tourist arrivals worldwide showed stable growth in 2000–2019, except for some crisis years with a slight drop: 2003 (SARS pandemic, 3 million) and 2009 (global economic crisis, 37 million). According to the worst-case scenario of the UNWTO, the decrease in 2020 can reach 1.140 billion (Fig. 4 ).

Source: developed by the authors based on data adapted from the World Tourism Organization ( 2020b ).

The global international tourism receipts also experienced constant growth in 2000–2019, with the exception of one year, 2009, when the drop was USD 88 billion (Fig. 5 ). In 2020 the decrease may reach USD 1.170 trillion as per the worst UNWTO scenario.

According to preliminary data, in the first quarter of 2020, the impact of aviation losses can reduce global GDP from 0.02 to 0.12%. Besides, if events develop according to the worst-case scenario, before the end of 2020, these aviation losses can be as high as 1.41–1.67%, with job losses about 25–30 million (Iacus et al., 2020 ).

Now, the UAE is at the forefront in terms of reducing demand for MICE services, as well as for global air travel. Emirati Airlines, hotels, and other travel and tourism-related businesses have experienced significant oversupply and must take decisive actions (Oxford Analytica, 2020 ). The Etihad Airways based in Abu Dhabi and Emirates Airline in Dubai have asked their employees to stay at home due to reduced number of flights thereby not excluding the possibility of layoffs (Siddiquei and Khan, 2020 ).

The global reduction of the scheduled departure flights comprised 2.8 million—from 3.234 million in January 2020 to 0.429 million on July 13, 2020. The anti-leaders in terms of the scheduled departure flights occurred to be the USA (−756 thousand flights), China (−363) and India (−112). For the same period, the UAE experienced a drop in 21 thousand flights, which is a comparatively small amount (Fig. 6 ).

Source: developed by the authors based on data adapted from OAG ( 2020 ).

As shown in Fig. 6 , starting from June, the situation with flights has begun to improve slightly. As to the UAE, the number of scheduled departure flights grew from 1.03 to 1.87 thousand weekly from June 1, 2020, to July 13, 2020.

In relative numbers, the deepest global fall of scheduled departure flights (compared to the same period of 2019) occurred in May 2020 and was 69% (Table 1 ). The countries with the biggest relative decrease were Singapore (97%, May), Spain (94%, April), Hong Kong (94%, April), Germany (93%, April), the United Kingdom (94%, June) and France (92%, May). The UAE had the most notable drop of 82% on June 1, 2020.

Today, more than 50 business events are scheduled for the fall of 2020 in Dubai, but they depend on the global and local epidemiological situation (Dubai Tourism, 2020 ).

Key performance indicators of the MICE industry

The computational results based on pre-pandemic data show that the long-term profitability of the MICE industry can be potentially stable and not influenced by investments in post-pandemic conditions. The rate of return on investment will decrease with a new tourism service. Competitiveness, however, has little relation to profitability ratio and hence is likely to increase.

The present findings are expected to facilitate marketing decision making. However, managers should decide on a strategy for competitiveness that will enable the reduction of MICE services cost, the increase of competitive services, and personnel training. An integrated multiplicative model of profitability that allows the assessment of the given strategy has the following form:

Where, N —cost of services provided, USD;

S —number of those employed in the MICE industry;

P —profit spent on outsourcing strategy development, USD;

i —number of new services.

The results prove the theoretical significance of the selected model (Fisher criterion is equal to 29.01; the coefficient of multiple determination amounts to 0.97; and the relative approximation error is 0.14). The correspondence between results is expressed using the criteria of truth and authenticity.

The elasticity of service provision corresponds to t 1  = 0.287 and t 2  = 0.128, assuming low efficiency. That is, with a per cent increase of profits or employees, the number of offers for MICE services can potentially grow either by 0.287 or by 0.128%, respectively. Consequently, personnel costs and working capital may have little impact on the competitiveness of the MICE industry in the UAE in post-pandemic conditions. These data were processed to develop three theoretical forecast scenarios for the sales of MICE services in post-pandemic conditions (Table 2 ).

The above forecasts based on pre-pandemic data suggest that MICE service sales can increase by 61.6% in 2020–2023. That is, the average annual number is predicted to increase by 25%, gaining USD 35 thousand in 2021. Hence, the economic growth model can serve as an effective tool for improving the tourism development strategy of travel agencies.

The calculations confirm that in pre-pandemic conditions (average tax about 39%; the minimum return 6.9%) when tourism companies used to spend 89% of their net earnings, the volume of tourism services could not be maintained and the gross value added was likely to drop by 3%. Therefore, to ensure better performance and a broader range of tourism services, the minimum rate of return in ideal conditions should be at least 12.9% and the grow value-added tax should not exceed 38.9%.

Strategy for MICE survival and competitiveness

A queuing model was proposed to optimise MICE companies in terms of performance in the post-pandemic market. The Kotler’s extended marketing mix model may serve as a framework of choice for hoteliers, providing a competitive advantage over the existing participants in the MICE market. This model allows evaluating MICE services from various segments of the market by the in-depth profitability and demand analyses.

The five Ps of the marketing mix model are:

Product—a hotel in which a business tourist stays and rests, where a business event is organised, etc.;

Price—pricing policy, discount, price-quality (varies depending on hotels and airlines, plus insurance, travel and event organisation), etc.;

Place—distribution channels, internet platforms, etc.;

Promotion—meetings, incentives, conventions, exhibitions (product launch), state summits, public relations and advertising, etc.;

People—loyal customers and VIP customers, staff, other customers, etc.

It can be argued that meetings and events in hotels that adhere to this marketing model will bring additional income to stakeholders and corporate business travel agencies and hence improve the image of MICE companies. The consequences of this 5P marketing mix model can also be the improvement of the tourism service quality.

Normally, large hotel corporations associate themselves with the image, rather than location. Therefore, when choosing strategies for gaining competitive advantage through outsourcing, the economic and marketing models were used. The underlying sustainable competitive advantages of MICE companies are innovation; service quality control; flexible, adaptive and strong organisational culture; intangible assets (image and business reputation); and consumer behaviour management. Hence, the competitiveness strategy should more focus on these variables. In cross-border tourism, the most promising strategies for competitiveness are those aimed at ensuring consumer loyalty, innovation and adaptation to the external environment like heightened health and safety measures. The MICE industry leaders are increasingly focused on current trends in outsourcing business processes, namely: expanding the boundaries of outsourcing; use of best practices, tools and technologies to ensure better management; the ability to integrate new features with existing systems; ensuring information confidentiality; the transition from individual services to service packages; and global coverage of existing and new markets.

Where there is the opportunity to survive in the pandemic and post-pandemic world and gain competitive advantages by reducing costs while increasing the efficiency of performance, business travel companies turn to outsourcing (It Pulse, 2019 ). Key Account Managers settle issues with the business travel organisation on the key client’s behalf (Suvorova, 2012 ). The main factors of competitiveness are the image and reliability of MICE companies. Competitiveness is achieved by improving the quality of services (Tymchyshyn-Chemerys and Pasternak, 2017 ). The previous studies highlighted the following important variables: total cost of business events; expenditures on restaurants and hotels, transportation, etc.; additional costs associated with increased demand; and value-added income.

The scientific novelty of this study is that it offers an optimal competitiveness strategy for the MICE industry offering to introduce outsourcing practices and the 5P marketing model.

Conclusions

The present research examined the impact of COVID-19 on global and UAE MICE market by way of quantitative and qualitative analysis. The study revealed that in the conditions of severe travel restrictions and closed borders, travel-dependant industries like MICE or passenger air services were significantly hit by the pandemic. In 2020, the COVID-19 quarantine measures are predicted to result in a global loss of 121 million jobs and USD 3,435 billion in GDP.

Now the UAE is at the forefront in terms of reducing demand for MICE services, as well as for global air travel. Emirati Airlines, hotels, and other travel and tourism-related businesses have experienced significant oversupply. Compared to the same period of 2019, the most considerable fall of scheduled departure flights in the UAE occurred on June 1, 2020, and equalled 82%. Despite the fact that the industry has started to recover after weakening anti-epidemic measures, this process can take some time (provided severe anti-pandemic measures will not be restored along with the new wave of COVID-2019).

The choice of survival and competitive strategy for the MICE industry is justified by the study of outsourcing business processes. Outsourcing enables the reduction of operating costs. In these circumstances, a MICE company needs to ‘keep the good work’ by employing competence, establishing a modern communication system, and promoting digitalisation.

The study used multiplicative analysis to evaluate the profitability of the MICE industry and the impact of operating costs on the competitiveness of MICE companies. The 5P marketing model was identified as an optimal choice for surviving and recovering MICE business companies through outsourcing. Since the major resource of organisations under consideration is people and the product, it is advisable to use the competitive marketing strategy when developing a management approach. However, because the product in the MICE industry is a result of multi-stage cooperation, the MICE service provider should simultaneously focus on the external environment.

The study findings can be used by travel agencies, MICE-related companies, or researchers, applying specific company and market data for developing strategies to overcome COVID-related crisis and increase the competitiveness of MICE business.

Due to the lack of reliable post-pandemic data, this research was limited to pre-pandemic information. As soon as actual data are available, more accurate calculations can be made, and theoretical research can be verified. Thus, there are enough opportunities for further research aimed at introducing the results obtained to certain post-pandemic MICE market conditions.

Data availability

Data used are available on request.

The aforementioned geographic regions correspond to the Standard Country or Area Codes for Statistics Use ( 1999 ) of the United Nations (M49 standard) .

The darker the colour in Fig. 1 is, the deeper is the decrease in international tourist arrivals.

There is no data on international arrivals for the markets of countries in grey in Fig. 1 .

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Aburumman, A.A. COVID-19 impact and survival strategy in business tourism market: the example of the UAE MICE industry. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 7 , 141 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-020-00630-8

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What is mice travel everything you need to know in 2024.

MICE Travel is a term that is often used in the tourism industry, but not everyone is familiar with what it means. MICE stands for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions. It is a type of tourism that involves bringing together large groups of people for a specific purpose, such as attending a conference or participating in an exhibition.

MICE Travel is a growing segment of the tourism industry, and it is becoming increasingly popular among businesses and organizations. It is a way for companies to reward their employees, build relationships with clients, and showcase their products and services to a wider audience.

In this article, we will explore what MICE Travel is, why it is important, and what makes it different from other types of tourism. We will also look at some of the benefits and challenges of MICE Travel, as well as some examples of successful MICE events. 

What is MICE Travel?

MICE travel is a type of tourism that involves corporate groups travelling with a specific purpose in mind. The acronym MICE stands for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions. MICE travellers are usually employees of a company or organization who travel to attend an event or meeting.

The Meetings aspect of MICE travel refers to business meetings, such as board meetings or sales meetings. These meetings can take place in various settings, such as hotels, serviced apartments , conference centres, or even on a cruise ship.

MICE travel is an important sector of the tourism industry , as it generates significant revenue for hotels, airlines, and other businesses. MICE travellers are often high-spending customers who require a high level of service and attention to detail.

Components of MICE Travel

Meetings are a key component of MICE travel. They are gatherings of people who come together to discuss a specific topic or issue. Meetings can be small or large, and they can take place in a variety of settings, including hotels, conference centres, and other venues.

Meetings can be classified into different types, such as board meetings, sales meetings, and team-building meetings. They can also be classified based on their duration, such as half-day, full-day, or multi-day meetings.

Incentives are rewards that are offered to individuals or groups to encourage them to achieve a certain goal or objective. In the context of MICE travel, incentives are used to motivate employees or business partners to achieve specific business goals.

Incentive travel programs can include a variety of activities, such as team-building exercises, cultural tours, and adventure activities. These programs are designed to provide participants with a unique and memorable experience that will motivate them to achieve their goals.

Conferences

Conferences are gatherings of people who come together to share information and ideas. They are typically organized around a specific theme or topic, and they can be attended by people from a variety of industries and backgrounds.

Conferences can take place in a variety of settings, such as hotels, conference centres, and other venues. They can be organized as single-track or multi-track events, and they can include keynote speakers, panel discussions, and workshops.

Exhibitions

Exhibitions are events where companies and organizations showcase their products and services to potential customers or clients. They are typically organized around a specific industry or theme, and they can be attended by people from a variety of backgrounds.

Exhibitions can take place in a variety of settings, such as convention centres, exhibition halls, and other venues. They can be organized as trade shows, consumer shows, or other types of events. Exhibitions can be an effective way for companies to generate leads and build relationships with potential customers or clients.

Importance of MICE Travel

MICE travel plays a crucial role in the tourism industry and has a significant impact on the economy. It is an essential part of the business tourism industry and encompasses four niche areas: Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conferences, and Exhibitions.

One of the key benefits of MICE travel is that it generates significant revenue through direct and indirect spending, contributing to local economic growth. It also creates job opportunities for people in the hospitality and tourism industry.

According to a report by Business Insider , the global MICE industry is expected to reach $1,439 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 7.6% from 2018 to 2025.

MICE travel also fosters knowledge exchange, promotes collaboration and innovation, and provides a platform for networking. It enables professionals from different industries and countries to meet, share ideas, and learn from each other. This helps to build relationships and create new business opportunities.

In addition, MICE travel has a positive impact on the environment. Many MICE events incorporate sustainable practices, such as reducing waste, conserving energy, and promoting eco-friendly transportation.

This helps to minimize the environmental impact of the events and promotes sustainable tourism practices.

Overall, MICE travel is an essential part of the tourism industry and plays a vital role in driving economic growth, fostering knowledge exchange, promoting collaboration and innovation, and promoting sustainable tourism practices.

Economic Impact of MICE Travel

MICE tourism has a significant economic impact on the destinations where it takes place. The direct and indirect spending associated with MICE events generates revenue that contributes to local economic growth

According to a report by Grand View Research , the global MICE market was valued at USD 876.42 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.5% from 2023 to 2030.

One of the key benefits of MICE tourism is its contribution to job creation. A study by the World Tourism Organization found that MICE events create more jobs per tourist than leisure travel. This is because MICE events require a wide range of services, including accommodation , transportation, catering, and event management, which in turn creates employment opportunities in these sectors.

MICE tourism also has a positive impact on local businesses. Participants in MICE events tend to spend more money than leisure travellers, both because of the nature of their travel and because their expenses are often covered by their employers. This means that local businesses, such as restaurants, shops, and attractions, benefit from the increased spending associated with MICE events.

Overall, the economic impact of MICE tourism is significant, with direct and indirect spending contributing to local economic growth and job creation. The benefits of MICE tourism extend beyond the event itself, with local businesses and the wider community benefiting from increased spending.

Key Players in the MICE Industry

MICE tourism is a complex industry that involves various stakeholders. The following are the key players in the MICE industry:

Event Planners

Event planners are professionals who help businesses and organizations plan and execute events, such as meetings, conferences, and exhibitions. They are responsible for managing all aspects of the event, including venue selection, catering, logistics, and marketing. Event planners work closely with their clients to ensure that the event meets their objectives and budget.

Destination Management Companies

Destination Management Companies (DMCs) are professional service providers that specialize in managing events and travel arrangements in a specific destination. They have in-depth knowledge of the local market and can provide valuable insights into the destination’s culture, customs, and regulations. DMCs work closely with event planners and travel agencies to ensure that the event runs smoothly.

Hospitality Providers

Hospitality providers include hotels, resorts, and other accommodation providers that offer facilities and services for MICE travellers. They provide meeting rooms, conference facilities, and other amenities that are essential for MICE events. Hospitality providers work closely with event planners and DMCs to ensure that the accommodation meets the needs of MICE travellers.

Travel Agencies

Travel agencies are professional service providers that specialize in arranging travel and accommodation for MICE travellers. They work closely with event planners and DMCs to ensure that the travel arrangements meet the needs of MICE travellers. Travel agencies can provide valuable insights into the destination’s transportation options, visa requirements, and other travel-related issues.

4 Best MICE Travel Destinations

MICE travel is an important segment of the tourism industry, and many destinations around the world have recognized its potential for generating significant revenue. Some of the most popular MICE travel destinations include:

1. Singapore

Singapore is one of the most popular MICE destinations in Asia. The city-state is known for its world-class infrastructure, modern facilities, and excellent connectivity.

It also has a diverse range of accommodation options, from budget-friendly to luxury hotels.

Some of the most popular MICE venues in Singapore include the Marina Bay Sands, Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, and Resorts World Sentosa.

2. Barcelona

Barcelona is a popular MICE destination in Europe, thanks to its rich history, vibrant culture, and excellent infrastructure.

The city has a range of venues suitable for MICE events, including the Fira Barcelona Gran Via, the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya, and the Centre de Convencions Internacional de Barcelona.

Barcelona is also known for its excellent cuisine, art, and architecture, making it an attractive destination for both business and leisure travellers.

Dubai has emerged as a leading MICE destination in the Middle East, thanks to its modern infrastructure, world-class facilities, and excellent connectivity.

The city has a range of venues suitable for MICE events, including the Dubai World Trade Centre, the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, and the Madinat Jumeirah Conference Centre.

Dubai is also known for its luxury shopping, dining, and entertainment options, making it an attractive destination for both business and leisure travellers.

4. Las Vegas

Las Vegas is one of the most popular MICE destinations in the United States, thanks to its world-class facilities, entertainment options, and excellent connectivity.

The city has a range of venues suitable for MICE events, including the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Sands Expo and Convention Center, and the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

Las Vegas is also known for its luxury hotels, casinos, and nightlife, making it an attractive destination for both business and leisure travellers.

Top Trends in MICE Travel

Here are some of the top trends include:

• Technology Integration

Technology is an integral part of MICE travel, and it is being used to enhance the experience of attendees. Event organizers are utilizing technology to create interactive and engaging experiences that leave a lasting impression on attendees.

Some of the technologies being used include virtual reality, augmented reality, and live streaming.

• Sustainability

Sustainability is becoming increasingly important in the MICE travel industry. Event organizers are looking for ways to reduce the environmental impact of their events, and many are implementing sustainable practices such as using biodegradable products, reducing waste, and using renewable energy sources.

• Personalization

Personalization is another trend that is gaining popularity in the MICE travel industry. Attendees are looking for personalized experiences that cater to their individual needs and preferences. Event organizers are utilizing data analytics and other technologies to create customized experiences that meet the unique needs of each attendee.

• Hybrid Events

Hybrid events are becoming more common in the MICE travel industry. These events combine in-person and virtual elements to create a more engaging and interactive experience for attendees. Hybrid events allow businesses to reach a wider audience while still providing the benefits of face-to-face interaction.

Wellness is another trend that is gaining popularity in the MICE travel industry. Attendees are looking for ways to stay healthy and fit while attending events and meetings. Event organizers are incorporating wellness activities such as yoga, meditation, and healthy food options into their events to promote a healthy lifestyle.

Challenges Facing MICE Travel

MICE Travel has its own set of challenges that need to be addressed to ensure the success of events. Here are some of the key challenges that MICE Travel faces:

• Logistics and Planning

MICE Travel involves the organization of large-scale events, which require meticulous planning and coordination. Event planners need to ensure that all aspects of the event, such as transportation, accommodation, and catering, are well-organized and meet the expectations of the attendees.

• Budget Constraints

MICE Travel can be expensive, and budget constraints can be a significant challenge for event planners. The cost of organizing an event can quickly add up, and planners need to ensure that they stay within budget while still providing a high-quality experience for attendees.

• Safety and Security

Ensuring the safety and security of attendees is a crucial aspect of MICE Travel. Event planners need to take measures to ensure that attendees are safe and secure during the event, such as providing adequate security personnel and implementing emergency response plans.

• Technology and Innovation

MICE Travel is an ever-evolving industry, and event planners need to keep up with the latest technology and innovation to provide a unique and memorable experience for attendees. The use of technology, such as virtual reality and augmented reality, can enhance the attendee experience, but it can also be a challenge for event planners to implement and integrate into the event.

Sustainability in MICE Travel

Sustainability is a growing concern in the MICE industry as it has a significant environmental impact. MICE travel can generate a large amount of waste, energy consumption, and carbon emissions, which can contribute to climate change and harm the environment.

Therefore, there is a growing demand for sustainable practices in the MICE industry to reduce its negative impact on the environment.

One of the ways to promote sustainability in MICE travel is by reducing waste. Event organizers can reduce waste by using reusable or recyclable materials, avoiding single-use plastics, and encouraging attendees to bring their water bottles and refill them instead of buying bottled water. They can also donate leftover food to charities or food banks instead of throwing it away.

Another way to promote sustainability in MICE travel is by reducing energy consumption. Event organizers can reduce energy consumption by using energy-efficient lighting and equipment, turning off equipment when not in use, and using renewable energy sources such as solar.

They can also encourage attendees to use public transportation or carpool instead of driving alone to reduce carbon emissions.

Furthermore, promoting sustainability in MICE travel can also have economic benefits. Sustainable events can attract environmentally conscious attendees and sponsors, which can increase the event’s visibility and reputation.

Additionally, reducing waste and energy consumption can also lead to cost savings for event organizers.

How do incentives function within the MICE sector?

Incentives are an important part of the MICE sector because they provide a way for companies to reward their employees or customers. Incentive travel is often used as a way to motivate employees to achieve specific goals or to reward them for their hard work. Incentives can also be used to build relationships with customers by offering them exclusive experiences or rewards.

What are some typical examples of MICE tourism?

MICE tourism includes a wide range of events, from small meetings to large-scale conferences and exhibitions. Some examples of MICE tourism include trade shows, product launches, corporate meetings, and incentive trips. These events can take place in a variety of locations, from convention centres to hotels and resorts.

Why is the MICE industry considered important for hospitality and tourism?

The MICE industry is an important part of the hospitality and tourism sector because it generates significant revenue for businesses and local economies. MICE events bring in large numbers of visitors who spend money on transportation, accommodations, food, and entertainment. Additionally, MICE events can help to promote a destination and attract future visitors.

What types of events are categorized under MICE travel?

MICE travel encompasses a wide range of events, including corporate meetings, conferences, exhibitions, trade shows, and incentive trips. These events can be held for a variety of purposes, such as networking, education, or product launches.

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Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE Travel)

Nov 3, 2022 | Aiport Concierge , Travel

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You’re on the right road if you already know that it has more to do with meetings than fuzzy rodents. However, there is still a great deal to learn about MICE Travel. In a nutshell, MICE Travel is a significant sector of the hospitality business and, depending on how a hotel is configured, can account for more than 50% of its revenue. Keep reading to learn more…

What is MICE Travel?

M eetings, I ncentives, C onferences, and are all referred to as MICE Travel.

MICE has been replaced in recent years by the terms “meetings industry” and “events industry”, which are becoming more common. Due to the frequent events that almost every sector of business travel involves, it plays a significant role. The major objective here is always to connect experts, encourage relationships, support fresh thinking, and encourage development.

  A closer look of the four MICE Travel pillars:

Convention facilities or hotel conference rooms are the usual locations for meetings. They are one-day gatherings of professional to discuss a significant problem or establish objectives for the company.

Travel rewards are incentives that a business may offer in exchange for outstanding professional performance from specific workers, teams, or partners. Employee loyalty is greatly improved by a few days spent on the company’s dime at a resort, hotel, or other well-known hospitality location.

Conferences

Conferences are intended for a large corporate travel group to share knowledge over a number of days and elevate meetings to the next level. Key members of the organization as well as outside speakers and the general public are frequently included.

Exhibitions

Exhibitions are simply trade events where  a company  advertises to the public its primary goods and services. They are intensely targeted  occasions that promote sales, aid in staff networking, and foster long-lasting company ties.

7 Considerations To Think About While Selecting The Best MICE Venue

Event planners must make a list of the characteristics their desired venue should have in order to choose the finest alternative. Here are a few factors to take into account when making this crucial selection because every event has different needs:

1.      Schedule and Availability

Finding a venue that can be booked on the specified date is a necessary if you have a definite date for the event. If the event date is still up for debate, you will have the opportunity to haggle with the venue’s management and potentially choose dates that better suit your schedule and financial constraints

Take note, however, that having this degree of flexibility has a drawback. Dealing your decision increases the likelihood that another business may book your preferred date before you. This is particularly true if you chose a busy period for MICE Travel events.

2.      Location and Accessibility

For instance, Singapore is a fantastic general site for MICE events because the nation has several hotels and conference centers that are built to deliver a top-notch MICE experience. Another choice, if you’re in a position to do so, is to place your participants at a Singapore airport hotel, which offers the greatest convenience to those who need to enter and exit the country as soon as possible.

3.      Capacity and MICE Facilities

Along with the group seating options that the venue can offer, you should also research the equipment and amenities that are readily accessible for use during your event. Are the venue’s sound system and stage set up adequate for your needs? if not, it would be wise to start looking for providers who have expertise in these fields right once.

4.      Accommodation Options

You must offer attendees traveling from far locations suitable lodging options if your event is intended for them. Many hotels that host MICE Travel events provide their customers with package offerings that include affordable lodging options for a number of their guests and attendees.

But what if you’re hosting the event in a conference room that isn’t connected to any hotels or other housing facilities? Thankfully, you can still collaborate with the local resorts and hotels. This will make making travel and lodging arrangements for your guests much simpler.

5.      Capabilities for Catering

Are you happy with the caliber and selection of the food served at the venue and does it have its own food and beverage division? If the answer is yes, it will be simpler for you to guarantee your participants’ and guests’ comfort. Don’t forget to let your caterer know if you anticipate a diverse and international group of attendees. In this approach, you can cooperate to provide these visitors options they’ll like.

6.      Ambience

A venue’s atmosphere has the power to make or break an event. You require a location that fits the theme of your conference, for instance, if it is about high-tech manufacturing procedures. In this case, you should select a location that features cutting-edge engineering and architectural trends. Additionally, the location should have state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems.

No matter what the topic of your event is, choose a location with cutting-edge amenities is a smart move. Your participants will be in the correct frame of mind if you have dependable, modern equipment and a neat, stylish setting. They will be able to take full advantage of the activities you have planned as a result of this.

7.      Packages and Cost

Finally, it’s essential to consider the venue’s cost as well as the value that their packages give. Some hotels provide a certain number of complimentary rooms, while others give deals on catering and bar services.

Let’s imagine your function is only a few hours long and you don’t really need to provide your attendees with full meals. In this situation, choosing a location that provides attendees with complimentary meeting supplies over a hotel that offers heavily discounted lodging makes more sense.

Why Are MICE Travel Important In Tourism?

Travel for business purposes is related to MICE tourism. For work-related reasons, a business traveler must go outside of the city, state, or nation. Although the travel industry can be broadly divided into various sorts, MICE tourism has grown in importance recently.

Meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibits, or MICE Travel, are regarded as a significant component of the business tourism sector. Only 18% of the overall number of tourists were meeting attendees, but they provided 32% of the industry’s yearly tourism earnings. Hosting a business event is therefore viewed as a very effective approach to boost the nation’s

Maintaining a current network of connections and solid relationships with your peers are essential. Additionally, corporate events offer fantastic chances to network with seasoned MICE Travel experts, guests, and other MICE delegates. A crucial component of this sector is making relationships, learning, and adhering to the highest international standards.

Brand Awareness

Corporate events help businesses position themselves more effectively and give them more clout in the markets where they compete. In other words, demonstrating to the public that business is booming is the responsibility of social gatherings, parties, conferences, and celebrations. Leading groups, including Meeting Professionals International (MPI), take advantage of these occasions to highlight their top employees and dynamic communities.

It is important to note that well-positioned initiatives are more likely to attract and keep customers since they are well-liked by the general public. It indicates that in addition to gaining popularity within the industry, the business also distinguishes itself from the competitors and builds trust with future clients.

Encourage Teams And Co-Workers

De motivation has detrimental effects on both productivity and the employee, including increased stress, Burnout syndrome, and even depressive states. Therefore, corporate events can serve as a motivating action, particularly when tailored to satisfy employees’ needs.

It is crucial to hear what employees have to say since doing so makes them feel valued, which boosts productivity.

Professional Development

Through lectures, conferences, and training opportunities, corporate events support the professional growth of the employees already employed by the organization.

The technological advancement of personnel, who may use their knowledge to enhance production procedures, is a significant advantage.

Who Are MICE Travelers?

It becomes clear that MICE travel is very purposeful and business oriented because corporations and associations are its main clients and nearly all events are a part of a corporation’s or association’s normal activity.

Let’s talk about MICE travelers right now. The intended audience, or MICE travelers, are typically executives or officials working at various levels of a company’s hierarchy, organization, or association. However, the visitors would come from or represent various professions, levels of hierarchy, and organizations for each sort of events.

For Example: A printing industry event would draw printing houses and publishers, trade and service companies, multimedia and designing firms, and professionals in designing, graphics, publishing, printing, etc.

The type of event actually determines the kind of visitors, by professions and positions, and type of organizations it attracts. Architects, interior designers, consultants, builders, engineers and construction firms, etc. will all be present at a building and construction event. Similar to this, numerous association executives and corporate members will attend an association meeting or event.

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The Bottom Line

MICE travel has a special element called incentive travel. The leisure travel sector and other MICE types of travel specialists frequently collaborate with incentive travel planners, even though all types of require complex collaboration with third parties.

In contrast to the other three MICE Travel vacation destinations, incentives are entirely or almost entirely covered by the sponsoring business. They are frequently presented as incentives or prizes, frequently as a component of a larger incentive scheme, and are more focused on fun than learning. In contrast to other types of MICE travel, incentive travel must be organized and advertised differently. The main objective is to provide guests with lasting memories without going over budget.

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MICE tourism: what does MICE stand for in tourism?

The acronym MICE refers to business tourism, where trips are related to professional and work activities. This concept encompasses the terms ' meetings ', ' incentives ', ' conferences ' and ' exhibitions '. In this sense, the tourism industry has developed a new stage with this subsector that involves destinations, business growth and job creation. But, how does the MICE industry fits in tourism and how important is it?

As a specialized agency in Mice events & industry we'll explain all key items in this post.

How important is MICE tourism?

As stated in the previous paragraph, MICE stands for  Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions . MICE tourism, and the meetings industry as a whole, has become a lucrative part of the tourism mix across the globe and a key driver in the development of the tourism industry, generating very positive synergies for those involved.

Generating wealth

On the one hand, destinations are enriched, since jobs and investment are generated. In this sense, income is also increased, since people travel in any season of the year.

Powering innovation

The creativity and innovation MICE Travelers are promoted, since the exchange of knowledge is stimulated. For all these reasons, companies like CREA Group organize business events in destinations outside the conventional work environment.

Components of the Mice Industry

MICE Tourism is a very specific type of tourism. This business travel are often refered to as incentive travel, hospitality industry, professional conferences and a vast number of terms. In the next lines we will explain the main components of the Mice Industry.

• MICE Tourism always involves meeting celebrations and or congresses, conventions, trade shows, fairs and other events of a corporate nature, especially in seasons of high activity such as autumn and spring.

• Secure investment: Te costs derived from the infrastructure, promotion or recruitment of human and technological resources are high, but the economic and image impact for the company is extremely attractive and profitable.

• Comprehensive high-end service with versatile accommodation, where attendees can be accommodated individually, but also where a varied catering and restaurant service is available.

Do you need to organize meetings according to your corporate demands? Contact Crea Group, where we have the best meeting organizers who know how to adapt to the needs of each client, making a tailored suit based on the objectives.

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Knowing and understanding the business tourism sector and the MICE industry

• Post author: Ludo Odier
• Post published: May 4, 2021
• Post category: Future of MICE

The MICE industry is a specialized component of business tourism, itself part of the tourism and travel industry. MICE is an acronym which stands for and groups together the activities planning, organising and coordinating Meetings for “M”, Incentive for “I”, Conferences for “C” and finally Events and Exhibitions for “E”.

In other words, the MICE events organisers (EO for event organisers) can follow the below specialties : 

• To plan seminars and conventions : they are called Meeting Planners
• To plan incentive trip for sales teams for example : they are sometimes called Incentive House
• To plan the organization of professional conferences : sometimes called Professional Conference Organisers (PCOs) 
• The organization of trade fairs and exhibitions

The place of MICE tourism in Business Tourism and Tourism in general

The tourism sector is a large sector of the world economy – accounting for close to 10% of global GDP (according to the ILO). MICE business tourism accounts for between 20% and 30% of total tourism industry revenues. Yet it is poorly known and difficult to pin down. 

It is a strategic sector on a world and national scale, because of the role it plays in the economy and its spillover effects in employment. Business tourism being the biggest value creator in tourism it helps sustain local economies and destinations, boost local providers and foster local heritage protection. In addition, trade shows and other professional meetings bring together businesses and institutions through local or international companies.

The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people “traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes”. If business travelers can be alone, MICE travelers are business travelers in GROUPS.

What is unique about the business tourism industry ?

In MICE tourism as in other forms of tourism, destinations and venues are keys,  including hotels, villas, guest rooms, meeting space or even business centers, “convention centers” or “exhibition areas. ». Venues include restaurants, business and shopping areas, but also places of culture and discovery – such as amusement parks, museums and other points of interest. In addition, other sectors are benefited from the MICE industry, such as corporate gifts and promotional material, audio-visual and printing equipment and of course technology because of the absolute need for each participant to be connected.

What is unique about the business tourism industry is its target audience: professionals, employees, teams of organisations, from companies, associations or professional affiliation and from around the world. Broadly the MICE industry caters to this very large group: the professionals. 

The needs of business travelers revolve around flight and point-to-point transportation, accommodation, and work and meeting spaces. Co-working spaces are an interesting example of new forms of work – more flexible and mobile.

A typology of MICE services

As for MICE services, although all require travelling to a destination, we should distinguish between those that involve sending the participant abroad (typical offsite meeting or incentives) and for which an “agency” is recruited to plan and organise such outings and those that involve inviting participants to a fixed venue for an exhibition or a trade show. In the second case the organising agency is typically an exhibition organisers. Although seemingly comparable, there is a structural difference in the sense that in the first case, the organiser and the client are typically based in the “Sending zone” whereas in the first case the organiser is based in the “receiving zone” or destination itself.

A destination marketing organization is an organisation which promotes a location as an attractive travel destination. DMOs are known as tourist boards, tourism authorities or “Convention and Visitors Bureaux”. 

As for business seminars, study days, incentive trips, their typical durations range from one day for small business seminars or study days – up to a dozen days and nights for incentives – incentive or reward trips – to distant destinations.

The business tourism sector has traditionally been structured around large specialist agencies like American Express that help companies manage the business trips of their employees. For 15-20 years online agencies like Expedia or Priceline have outgrown “traditional” agencies and have also developed in the business tourism sector. Expedia thus bought Egencia, one of the French leaders in this field.

But the MICE sector is a combination of large trade fair organizers – such as Informa or Reed Exhibitions -, and medium to small event agencies, more or less integrated into global or regional networks of local players: small or medium-sized event agencies, Destination Management Companies (DMCs), and of course restaurants, parks and hotels, which all are looking for the lucrative MICE business.

Key associations in the global MICE landscape

Some key associations in the global MICE landscape :

http://micecollaborative.com/

The Global MICE Collaborative provides Meetings Incentives Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) professionals throughout emerging worldwide markets with a “best of” collaboration that includes access to a combined network of 126 chapters worldwide.

https://www.mpi.org/

Meeting Professionals International (MPI) is the largest meeting and event industry association worldwide. The organization provides innovative and relevant education, networking opportunities and business exchanges, and acts as a prominent voice for the promotion and growth of the industry. MPI has a global community of 60,000 meeting and event professionals including nearly 14,000 engaged members. It has nearly 70 chapters, clubs and members in more than 75 countries worldwide. “When we meet, we change the world.”

https://www.siteglobal.com/

Incentive travel, the “I” in MICE, is the fastest growing sector of the Business Events industry with the highest per capita spend and the widest supply chain.

Accounting for about 7% of all Business Events activities, the Events Industry Council’s Global Economic Impact study (2018) estimates the incentive travel industry to be worth around $75 billion globally.

The Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) is the only Business Events association dedicated exclusively to the global incentive travel industry.

Founded in 1973, SITE are a professional association of 2,500 members located in 90 countries, working in corporations, agencies, airlines, cruise companies and across the entire destination supply chain.

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2021-2022 : Future of Incentive Travel – Deciding where to go and what to do ? How to build your next incentive ?

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Italy ranks 3rd in the world on ICCA MICE destinations list

Italy’s mice industry is doing very well, as highlighted by the icca (international congress and convention association). in 2022, italy was the third biggest mice destination in the world and the second one in europe, confirming the country’s leading positioning – particularly for cities such as rome, milan, turin or venice..

Business and generally convention tourism in Italy is doing well, following the years of pandemic which put a cast on MICE activities. A recovery in the business sector was already evident in 2021, with a 31% rise compared to 2020, when global spending on corporate travel fell by 56% compared to 2019.

2022 confirmed the trend. Italy climbed in ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) rankings. The country is now the third in the world and the second most popular in Europe. With over 520 meetings hosted, the country is second only to Spain (528) and the USA (690) and remained securely in the top spot around the world according to ICCA data.

In 2022, around 85% of meetings were again held face to face. This represented 9,000 meetings out of a total of more than 10,500. Rome and Milan rank 14th and 18th, with 79 and 66 meetings respectively, and have both moved up a position in the European ranking.

Italy is indeed well positioned to enjoy increasing bleisure activities in the years to come. Future travel patterns increasingly combine business with leisure and is often associated with Italy according to an ENIT survey conducted on data from ForwardKeys, WTTC (Euromonitor forecasts), Bankitalia, Deloitte and WTTC (Trip.com). According to Skyscanner, one in six of those interviewed is willing to accept combined travel: working on holiday is a strategic choice, because it gives visitors “longer to spend in the destination” (55%) and is “less expensive, with flights at quieter times” (51%).

According to Euromonitor forecasts, spending worldwide by travellers on bleisure was estimated at US$200 billion in 2022. It is set to further increase until 2027 with spending skyrocketing to US$360 billion.

“These excellent figures regarding the recovery of business travel are exceptionally good news, because in addition to being good for the economy, they also have a positive impact on the environment, and help the sector with strategies aimed at spreading tourist flows more evenly throughout the year, bringing benefits also to local economies, because spending more time and money in a place offers visitors a better opportunity to get to know the area and its typical products and traditions, which are the strengths of Italy. It is good that Rome has moved into the top 20, but we must do more, and my ambition is not only to see Rome moving up the rankings, but also to see Milan, Genoa and Turin in the top 50”, said Italy Minister for Tourism Daniela Santanchè.

“The popularity of bleisure is also evident in data regarding payment. On Trip.Biz, travellers are increasingly selecting both “Personal Travel” (for personal spending) and “Mixed Payments” (to supplement company budgets with personal funds). In 2022, bookings for personal flights rose by 22% compared to 2021, and by 33% compared to before the pandemic, with a similar trend evident for accommodation bookings. The number of bookings with “mixed payments” has risen by a massive 954%”, explains ENIT President and CEO Ivana Jelinic.

“The adoption of sustainable policies on the part of companies also has an impact on the management of business travel, and would appear to be encouraging greener choices, including the payment of higher rates for accommodation, living and transport options that are kinder to the environment and/or minimise CO₂ emissions”, explained ENIT Marketing Manager Maria Elena Rossi, who is working on the development of promotional strategies for the segment.

All data confirm that Italy is well positioned as a bleisure destination

Overall, 24% of companies (8% in the USA – 16% in Europe) expect business travel spending to return to 75% of 2019 levels in the first half of 2023. A full return to the spending volumes of 2019 by the end of 2024 is expected by 71% of US companies and 68% of European companies.

40% of Italian businesses, for example, are prepared to spend between 5% and 10% more for sustainable business travel, according to ENIT, based on a Deloitte survey. Business trips almost doubled between the beginning and the end of 2022.  European and US travel managers expect similar trends until 2024 to bring spending on business travel back to pre-pandemic levels.

After Covid, Italy experienced a quick 360° recovery. International business travellers in Italy grew already by 17.4% in 2021 compared to 2020. The recovery continued in 2022 with a 23.6% rise compared to the previous year. This represented a total of around 13.4 million foreign business tourists, albeit still 14.1% lower than in 2019. Overnight stays amounted to 45.6 million, up 38.8% on 2021, and even up 4.4% compared to 2019.

Spending by foreign visitors on business travel in Italy totalled over €4.3 billion in 2021, rising to €6.4 billion in 2022, an increase of 47.4%. Revenue was up 10.4% on pre-pandemic levels.

In 2022, spending on business travel in Italy accounted for 14.5% of the total revenue from international tourists, slightly higher than the 2019 figure of 13.1%.

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Dubai Launches Recognition Program for Indian Meetings Agents

Peden Doma Bhutia , Skift

April 7th, 2024 at 2:31 PM EDT

India's growing prominence in outbound MICE presents a significant opportunity that Dubai aims to leverage. The new recognition program targeting Indian intermediaries will definitely push agencies to promote Dubai as a preferred MICE destination.

Peden Doma Bhutia

Dubai Business Events, part of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism and the city’s official convention bureau, on Monday will announce its first-ever recognition program for Indian intermediaries for meetings, incentives, conferences and events business.

The MICE Star Awards program recognizes agents in India and their role in solidifying Dubai’s position as a leading business events destination.

“The award recipients will be selected based on an evaluation process that considers both the volume and value of their business to Dubai’s business events and wider tourism ecosystem,” a statement from Dubai Business Events said.

Dubai’s exhibitions, conferences, seminars, and business events sector grew by 25% last year. Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) attracted 2.47 million participants in 2023.

DWTC noted that the strong performance in 2023 reflects Dubai’s economic growth and its role as an international platform for business and trade. The growth was driven by 301 events, marking a 23% increase compared to 2022.

In addition, Dubai secured 349 bids to host international conferences and meetings facilitated by Dubai Business Events, representing a 49% increase in successful bids from the prior year. These events are expected to bring in over 191,000 international delegates to the city.

A report by Dubai Pulse estimates that the events industry in Dubai was worth $44.7 billion in 2023, with an annual growth rate of 25% projected from 2023 to 2027. The industry currently supports 100,000 jobs in Dubai and is expected to create an additional 10,000 jobs over the next five years.

India’s Outbound MICE Potential

According to Dubai Business Events, the launch of the program highlights Dubai’s dedication to the Indian MICE market. In 2023, India emerged as the top source country for visitors to Dubai, reflecting the city’s popularity for business events.

Dubai has also introduced a five-year multiple entry visa for Indian travelers . “As a key market for Dubai, India will continue to play an integral role in enabling us to achieve the goals of the  D33 Agenda , further reinforcing Dubai’s position as a hub for business, investment and tourism,” said Bader Ali Habib, regional head of proximity markets at Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism.

ResearchAndMarkets.com forecasts that India’s outbound MICE tourism market will reach $13.4 billion by 2031. It said the growth in this sector is driven by economic factors, including government support, improved air connectivity, and increased awareness among businesses and individuals about the benefits of attending international events.

India’s business travel spending is set to reach $38 billion this year, with a projected full recovery to pre-2019 spending levels by 2025, according to the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA).

“Companies prioritize in-person interactions with clients and suppliers to expedite projects. Professionals also embark on business trips to participate in meetings, events, and seminars,” Sunny Sodhi, managing director of FCM Travel India, told Skift earlier.

The pharmaceutical, finance, and manufacturing sectors are key drivers of India’s outbound MICE tourism.

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Tags: asia monthly , corporate travel , dubai , india outbound , meetings and events , mice , visa waiver

Photo credit: In 2023, India emerged as the top source country for visitors to Dubai. Unsplash

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India is witnessing a surge in bleisure travel post-pandemic, with up to 70 per cent of business travellers extending their trips for leisure. With India ranking as the 9th largest global market for business travel spending, expected to reach USD 38.2 billion by 2024 and USD 49.5 billion by 2027, Tumodo's strategic entry in India promises to capture a substantial share of this expanding market.

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Global travel & vacation spending surpasses USD 4 trillion in five years

The rebound in the tourism sector has been particularly notable, with global travel and tourism revenues projected to increase by 8.3 per cent in 2024, reaching almost USD 930 billion. This surge marks the highest revenue figure ever recorded in the industry, reflecting a strong resurgence following the pandemic-induced downturn.

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Moscow Metro – Part 2

Have you been to Moscow ? In all seriousness, they have the prettiest metro stations I have ever seen and I still can’t believe how immaculate and lovely every station was. There are several different stations pictured below and this is the second of several posts where I will show you the beauty of the Moscow Metro. Did you see part 1 ?  There really isn’t much to say because I think the pictures speak for themselves. I have so many more pictures to share with you!

Have you ever been to Moscow? Is it someplace you have thought about visiting?

She speaks fluent English, French and Spanish, and works for a major airline. And guess what? She’s also a licensed elementary teacher and has an MBA.

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This is the train STATION?? Oh my god… So gorgeous. Moscow has never even crossed my mind as a possible travel destination but this is gorgeous…Hmmm… LOL

I know, right? We spent several hours in the metro, just marveling at the beauty of each one. Thanks for stopping by!

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The Moscow Metro Museum of Art: 10 Must-See Stations

There are few times one can claim having been on the subway all afternoon and loving it, but the Moscow Metro provides just that opportunity.  While many cities boast famous public transport systems—New York’s subway, London’s underground, San Salvador’s chicken buses—few warrant hours of exploration.  Moscow is different: Take one ride on the Metro, and you’ll find out that this network of railways can be so much more than point A to B drudgery.

The Metro began operating in 1935 with just thirteen stations, covering less than seven miles, but it has since grown into the world’s third busiest transit system ( Tokyo is first ), spanning about 200 miles and offering over 180 stops along the way.  The construction of the Metro began under Joseph Stalin’s command, and being one of the USSR’s most ambitious building projects, the iron-fisted leader instructed designers to create a place full of svet (radiance) and svetloe budushchee (a radiant future), a palace for the people and a tribute to the Mother nation.

Consequently, the Metro is among the most memorable attractions in Moscow.  The stations provide a unique collection of public art, comparable to anything the city’s galleries have to offer and providing a sense of the Soviet era, which is absent from the State National History Museum.  Even better, touring the Metro delivers palpable, experiential moments, which many of us don’t get standing in front of painting or a case of coins.

Though tours are available , discovering the Moscow Metro on your own provides a much more comprehensive, truer experience, something much less sterile than following a guide.  What better place is there to see the “real” Moscow than on mass transit: A few hours will expose you to characters and caricatures you’ll be hard-pressed to find dining near the Bolshoi Theater.  You become part of the attraction, hear it in the screech of the train, feel it as hurried commuters brush by: The Metro sucks you beneath the city and churns you into the mix.

With the recommendations of our born-and-bred Muscovite students, my wife Emma and I have just taken a self-guided tour of what some locals consider the top ten stations of the Moscow Metro. What most satisfied me about our Metro tour was the sense of adventure .  I loved following our route on the maps of the wagon walls as we circled the city, plotting out the course to the subsequent stops; having the weird sensation of being underground for nearly four hours; and discovering the next cavern of treasures, playing Indiana Jones for the afternoon, piecing together fragments of Russia’s mysterious history.  It’s the ultimate interactive museum.

Top Ten Stations (In order of appearance)

Kievskaya station.

Kievskaya Station went public in March of 1937, the rails between it and Park Kultury Station being the first to cross the Moscow River.  Kievskaya is full of mosaics depicting aristocratic scenes of Russian life, with great cameo appearances by Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin.  Each work has a Cyrillic title/explanation etched in the marble beneath it; however, if your Russian is rusty, you can just appreciate seeing familiar revolutionary dates like 1905 ( the Russian Revolution ) and 1917 ( the October Revolution ).

Mayakovskaya Station

Mayakovskaya Station ranks in my top three most notable Metro stations. Mayakovskaya just feels right, done Art Deco but no sense of gaudiness or pretention.  The arches are adorned with rounded chrome piping and create feeling of being in a jukebox, but the roof’s expansive mosaics of the sky are the real showstopper.  Subjects cleverly range from looking up at a high jumper, workers atop a building, spires of Orthodox cathedrals, to nimble aircraft humming by, a fleet of prop planes spelling out CCCP in the bluest of skies.

Novoslobodskaya Station

Novoslobodskaya is the Metro’s unique stained glass station.  Each column has its own distinctive panels of colorful glass, most of them with a floral theme, some of them capturing the odd sailor, musician, artist, gardener, or stenographer in action.  The glass is framed in Art Deco metalwork, and there is the lovely aspect of discovering panels in the less frequented haunches of the hall (on the trackside, between the incoming staircases).  Novosblod is, I’ve been told, the favorite amongst out-of-town visitors.

Komsomolskaya Station

Komsomolskaya Station is one of palatial grandeur.  It seems both magnificent and obligatory, like the presidential palace of a colonial city.  The yellow ceiling has leafy, white concrete garland and a series of golden military mosaics accenting the tile mosaics of glorified Russian life.  Switching lines here, the hallway has an Alice-in-Wonderland feel, impossibly long with decorative tile walls, culminating in a very old station left in a remarkable state of disrepair, offering a really tangible glimpse behind the palace walls.

Dostoevskaya Station

Dostoevskaya is a tribute to the late, great hero of Russian literature .  The station at first glance seems bare and unimpressive, a stark marble platform without a whiff of reassembled chips of tile.  However, two columns have eerie stone inlay collages of scenes from Dostoevsky’s work, including The Idiot , The Brothers Karamazov , and Crime and Punishment.   Then, standing at the center of the platform, the marble creates a kaleidoscope of reflections.  At the entrance, there is a large, inlay portrait of the author.

Chkalovskaya Station

Chkalovskaya does space Art Deco style (yet again).  Chrome borders all.  Passageways with curvy overhangs create the illusion of walking through the belly of a chic, new-age spacecraft.  There are two (kos)mosaics, one at each end, with planetary subjects.  Transferring here brings you above ground, where some rather elaborate metalwork is on display.  By name similarity only, I’d expected Komsolskaya Station to deliver some kosmonaut décor; instead, it was Chkalovskaya that took us up to the space station.

Elektrozavodskaya Station

Elektrozavodskaya is full of marble reliefs of workers, men and women, laboring through the different stages of industry.  The superhuman figures are round with muscles, Hollywood fit, and seemingly undeterred by each Herculean task they respectively perform.  The station is chocked with brass, from hammer and sickle light fixtures to beautiful, angular framework up the innards of the columns.  The station’s art pieces are less clever or extravagant than others, but identifying the different stages of industry is entertaining.

Baumanskaya Statio

Baumanskaya Station is the only stop that wasn’t suggested by the students.  Pulling in, the network of statues was just too enticing: Out of half-circle depressions in the platform’s columns, the USSR’s proud and powerful labor force again flaunts its success.  Pilots, blacksmiths, politicians, and artists have all congregated, posing amongst more Art Deco framing.  At the far end, a massive Soviet flag dons the face of Lenin and banners for ’05, ’17, and ‘45.  Standing in front of the flag, you can play with the echoing roof.

Ploshchad Revolutsii Station

Novokuznetskaya Station

Novokuznetskaya Station finishes off this tour, more or less, where it started: beautiful mosaics.  This station recalls the skyward-facing pieces from Mayakovskaya (Station #2), only with a little larger pictures in a more cramped, very trafficked area.  Due to a line of street lamps in the center of the platform, it has the atmosphere of a bustling market.  The more inventive sky scenes include a man on a ladder, women picking fruit, and a tank-dozer being craned in.  The station’s also has a handsome black-and-white stone mural.

Here is a map and a brief description of our route:

Start at (1)Kievskaya on the “ring line” (look for the squares at the bottom of the platform signs to help you navigate—the ring line is #5, brown line) and go north to Belorusskaya, make a quick switch to the Dark Green/#2 line, and go south one stop to (2)Mayakovskaya.  Backtrack to the ring line—Brown/#5—and continue north, getting off at (3)Novosblodskaya and (4)Komsolskaya.  At Komsolskaya Station, transfer to the Red/#1 line, go south for two stops to Chistye Prudy, and get on the Light Green/#10 line going north.  Take a look at (5)Dostoevskaya Station on the northern segment of Light Green/#10 line then change directions and head south to (6)Chkalovskaya, which offers a transfer to the Dark Blue/#3 line, going west, away from the city center.  Have a look (7)Elektroskaya Station before backtracking into the center of Moscow, stopping off at (8)Baumskaya, getting off the Dark Blue/#3 line at (9)Ploschad Revolyutsii.  Change to the Dark Green/#2 line and go south one stop to see (10)Novokuznetskaya Station.

Check out our new Moscow Indie Travel Guide , book a flight to Moscow and read 10 Bars with Views Worth Blowing the Budget For

Jonathon Engels, formerly a patron saint of misadventure, has been stumbling his way across cultural borders since 2005 and is currently volunteering in the mountains outside of Antigua, Guatemala.  For more of his work, visit his website and blog .

Photo credits:   SergeyRod , all others courtesy of the author and may not be used without permission

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