Over 6,000 business travellers from the mainland have visited Macau so far this month as the Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) facilitated a string of conventions by large enterprises with its “One-stop “MICE Bidding and Support, the government-run institute said in a statement on Friday.
The statement did not give an exact timeframe for the figure.
MICE stands for Meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions.
The statement noted that the institute provides support through its venues and information service unit, coordination with various entities to ensure events go smoothly, and by providing “targeted assistance to event organisers to integrate MICE activities” as well as by creating cultural experience itineraries to drive more business cooperation and visitor spending.
These are done to develop the “high-end” MICE market and increase business travellers’ length of stay in Macau, according to the statement.
The statement underlined that so far this month many convention organisers have chosen to arrange local tours of three days or more in Macau to let business travellers experience “MICE+Tourism” in the city.
Some organisers of “five-day, four-night conventions” also commented that Macau’s “prime location, convenient transportation and sophisticated convention and exhibition facilities have greatly reduced the time required for organising events”, the statement added.
The organisers also said that the city’s heritage, its cuisine and tourism resources also make it ideal for diversified business tourism, according to the statement, adding that some organisers are planning to hold conventions again in Macau in April.
Moreover, the statement underlined the advantages of holding “multi-venue events” in Macau and the Guangdong-Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.
The institute, according to the statement, will continue to develop its collaboration with the zone by “better linking up the venue resources and policy advantages of the two places” and work with Hengqin to enhance cooperation with higher education institutions, integrated tourism and leisure enterprises, among others.
The statement said the aim is to “strive for influential and professional MICE events” in their respective areas – Macau and Hengqin – to be held as “multi-venue events”.
This undated handout photo provided by IPIM on Friday shows visitors taking pictures outside A-Ma (Ma Kok) Temple in Barra.
