ASEAN Conference on MICE held in Bangkok

BANGKOK, September 28 (TNA) - Bangkok hosts the ASEAN Conference on MICE in collaboration with UNWTO on Wednesday, in which more than 270 representatives from the regional public and private sectors on the MICE business participate. Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) President Nopparat Maythaveekulchai told journalists after inaugurating the regional conference that it was the first time Thailand hosts the ASEAN Conference on MICE, in collaboration with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), based on the current 10-year Tourism Strategy of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during 2016-2025). Nopparat said Wednesday's conference is viewed as a major platform to help drive forward the tourism industry for Thailand and the entire ASEAN Community (AC) through shared knowledge and experiences, leading to expanding regional cooperation. Besides, Wednesday's gathering is foreseen to result in more regional co-ordination in policies on promoting the combined Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) business, especially in the upgrade of its quality and standard in various sectors, along with the further development of infrastructure and facilities in the region to welcome more arrivals and demand of MICE business operators from other global parts. The TCEB president pointed out that Wednesday's regional conference could also promote Thailand as a MICE hub in the region. The TCEB chief estimated that Thailand should welcome up to about 1.3 million global MICE visitors alone this year, earning the Kingdom more than two billion baht, while by 2018, it is expected that the entire ASEAN should welcome about 12 million MICE visitors, out of a total of about 119 million global arrivals anticipated in the region, the figure of which would meet a joint target set in the ASEAN Tourism Strategy 2016-2025. To meet the target of developing ASEAN to become a quality global MICE venue, as stated in the ASEAN Tourism Strategy 2016-2025, the TCEB chief acknowledged two approaches would also be implemented, including organizing marketing activities to attract more global investors in order to enhance the competitiveness of not only the ASEAN MICE business, but also its personnel, in parallel with the further development of standard and quality of MICE facilities to serve all groups and ages of visitors, and boosting participation in MICE supply chains by all relevant sectors, including the public and the private sectors, as well as local communities, together with upgraded security and well protection of regional cultures and environment, to boost global investors' confidence in the MICE business in ASEAN and its sustainable growth in all relevant dimensions. (TNA)