Chiang Mai has been recognized as a key city for meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions or MICE industry in Thailand. With the help from the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau or TCEB, Chiang Mai has shifted its focus from “just tourism” to the MICE industry, enabling the city to have visitors in every season of the year.
TCEB has held “Meetings Industry Day” in Chiang Mai province in order to show the city’s capacities and readiness to become a “MICE city” which is the main goal of Chiang Mai in boosting its economy.
According to TCEB Acting President Thongchai Sridama, Chiang Mai in 2011 alone earned a total of 3.3 billion baht in revenue from both national and international MICE industries. This was broken down into 82 million baht from nearly 20,000 domestic MICE travelers, and 3.2 billion baht from over 40,000 international MICE travelers participating in a total of 427 MICE events throughout the year.
Meanwhile, Ms. Vichaya Soonthornsaratoon, Senior Manager and Acting Director of the Meetings Industry Department, TCEB, revealed that Chiang Mai will focus on distinctive features such as cultural tourism, environment tourism, and medical tourism, in driving the city’s economy.
Ms. Vichaya added that for the country as a whole, the MICE industry is expected to boost Thailand’s economic growth by 7-10 percent this year, with an income of 60 billion baht, and over 750,000 visitors from around the world.
Chiang Mai Deputy Governor Woragan Yokying has further stated that Chiang Mai province is ready in every aspect for the “2013 Year of Mice” such as infrastructure, utilities, and international standards of hospitality. He said Chiang Mai’s vision is to be the “city of life and wealth”. To achieve that goal, Chiang Mai province will have to emphasize more on conventions, meetings, and exhibitions.
Talking about the recent flooding in Thailand, Mr. Woragan mentioned that there is no need to worry. The city has already set up disaster warnings in flood-risk areas.
In conclusion, the MICE industry will play a huge part in Chiang Mai’s economic expansion in 2013 as it will boost income for the tourism segment in which cultural, environment, and medical tourism will be focused. For more information on MICE industry, visit www.tceb.or.th
