MICE tourism upsurge predicted for Vietnam post-APEC

Prof John Quelch, senior associate dean of the US-based Harvard Business School, said the Asia-Pacific Economic cooperation summit, which had hosted senior officials and CEOs from 21 member nations and territories, had been a resounding success.

The success did more than any marketing campaign to earn its tourism a good name, making the country a new destination for MICE tourism, he said.

Returning from a MICE tourism fair held in Thailand recently, Nguyen Kim Chi, manager of Celedon Palace Hotel in Hue town, said foreign tourism partners considered Vietnam a new attractive destination in the region.

Scores of MICE delegations switched their venue from Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia to Vietnam since they wanted to explore the new market, Chi said.

Domestic travel agents predict the number of MICE tourists is poised to surge with thousands having booked such tours with leading domestic firms like Saigontourist, Ben Thanh Tourist, and Cholon Tourist.

The companies themselves said in the last two months they had received some 5,000 MICE tourists – a 50 percent increase over last year.

Taleb Rifai, deputy general secretary of the World Tourism Organization, said Vietnam had great potential for MICE tourism development, including beautiful natural scenery, a diversified culture, and infrastructure that was up to scratch.

But it was important for the country to effectively sell itself and strengthen cooperation between airlines, hotels and others, he said.

Figures from the General Statistics Office show that of 1.85 million foreign arrivals in the first six months there were 278,000 MICE visitors – a 26.3 percent increase over last year.