MICE in Thailand
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibitions (MICE) industry in Thailand is one of the major branches of tourism in Thailand, contributing an estimated 0.58 percent to Thailand's GDP in 2012 (9.4% of all tourism earnings).[1]
The number of tourists in the MICE sector is around three percent of the overall arrivals to Thailand each year. They are recognized as the most desirable category of visitors, mainly because of their high-spending potential. The average spending of tourists in this sector is three times higher than spending of tourists in other sectors.[2] Thailand benefits from its geographic position between China and India[3] and tops the ASEAN region in terms of exhibition spaces sold and for being the most profitable MICE market.[4]
In 2012, Thailand hosted more than 7,300 meeting events (a 6.84 percent increase from 2011), totaling 895,000 visitors. The main sources were conventions (33 percent), corporate meetings (25 percent) and incentive travel (24 percent), adding the equivalent of more than US$2.5 billion to the economy of Thailand.[1] Around 65 percent of Thailand's MICE business came from Asian countries. India was the most frequent MICE customer, with 74,941 meetings visitors in 2012, followed by China (63,955), Japan (45,424) and Korea (37,175). The United States was on the eighth place, sending 21,786 delegates in 2012.[1]
In 2013, the number of visitors surpassed one million,[5] 72 percent from Asia.[6] China was the main contributor, both by number of travelers (128,437) and revenue (US$360 million).[7]
In 2018, the number of MICE visitors in Thailand peaked at two million, dropping sharply the following year due to the COVID-19 pandemic but still staying above the levels from 2016 (1.27 million visitors).[8]
As of 2022, Thailand's MICE industry has shown remarkable resilience and growth. The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) reported over 100,000 MICE gatherings in the year, with significant contributions from international groups. The largest MICE event in 2022 attracted 10,000 people from 50 countries, demonstrating the sector's broad international appeal.[9]
Thailand is a popular destination for Indian weddings that use MICE facilities as reception venues,[10] some wedding groups surpassing 1500 guests.[11][12] Reasons given for this success have been the incorporation of the Indian culture and the understanding of the Indian guests' requirements,[13] the price–performance ratio compared to India proper[10] and also the visa on arrival regime for Indian citizens.[14] In July 2014, 40 percent of Indian weddings held in Thailand were in Phuket, 30 percent in Hua Hin and 15 percent in Pattaya.[15]
During the recent years Thailand has also grown into a popular destination for Western-style weddings, with the cost of a 100 guests wedding reaching an average of ~550,00฿ in 2023, and the number of reservations steadily growing.[16]
Large scale events, such as conferences and conventions, can have a significant environmental impact in terms of energy usage, water consumption, waste, and carbon emissions. Thus, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) launched the "Green Meetings" campaign in 2009. However, the understanding of many event planners and industry players regarding environmentally sustainable events and meetings remains lacking.[17]
