thegreglowe.com

Few markets in Asia match the diversity Thailand offers as a combined business events destination. Delegates can fly into Bangkok for a convention or trade show, then head out of town to decompress and engage in team-building activities and incentive programmes incorporating anything from beachside dinners on private islands near Phuket to hair-raising zipline rides through the forest canopy near Chiang Mai.

Official figures published in January reflect Thailand’s continued appeal. Some 895,224 MICE visitors came to the country last year, according to the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), exceeding the agency’s annual target by 19.4 per cent. The business events industry accounted for just under one-tenth of all tourist arrivals to the kingdom, with about two-thirds of delegates coming from within Asia and total spending topping US$2.66 billion.

A total of 7,382 MICE events were held in the kingdom in 2012, up 6.84 per cent year-on-year. Conventions accounted for 35 per cent, meetings and incentives contributed 25 and 24 per cent respectively, with exhibitions making up the rest. Last year’s strong performance showed “a clear vote of confidence in Thailand as a cost-effective MICE destination,” says TCEB’s acting president Thongchai Sridama. Read more…