BANGKOK, 9 January 2013 The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is targeting up to 63 billion baht in revenue from the MICE industry, or Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions, in 2013; adding that the number of the MICE travelers visiting Thailand last year went beyond anticipation.
According to TCEB Acting President Thongchai Sridama, nearly 900,000 MICE travelers visited Thailand in 2012, 150,000 more than the 750,000 originally anticipated. The industry earned around 80 billion baht for the country last year.
For 2013, the acting president said he expected MICE industry to bring in at least 63 billion baht. However, he said it is just a forecast, adding that the actual number could go beyond the 63 billion baht projected.
In 2012, over 7,300 events were organized in the country, accounting for a 7-percent growth, compared to the previous year’s.
An average stay for each MICE visitor was 5.5 days, with an average daily spending of 16,000 baht per person. According to Mr Thongchai, the figure is 3-4 times as high as that of an average tourist.
65 percent of all MICE visitors in 2012 were from Asian countries, with Indians being the majority, followed by Chinese, South Korea, Malaysia, and Japan.
Mr Thongchai revealed further that the TCEB’s 2013 strategy is to penetrate new markets such as Eastern Europe and Africa, while maintaining the existing markets, which are the ASEAN region and the ASEAN+6 group.
