Chinese top MICE visitors to Thailand last year
China became the leading MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) source market for Thailand last year, with more than 120,000 business travellers entering the Kingdom and contributing Bt10.6 billion to the economy, the Thailand Convention
Reporting during the bureau-hosted "Thailand CONNECT the World: China MICE Commemorative Dinner" at a Shanghai hotel on September 17, TCEB marketing and corporate image department director Parichat Svetasreni said that in the 2014 fiscal year, the number of Chinese business-event visitors was the largest among the combined 919,164 foreign MICE visitors to Thailand, who generated Bt80.8 billion in total.
The trend has continued during the first three quarters of the 2015 fiscal year, with 71,462 Chinese business travellers to Thailand, contributing Bt6.28 billion to the Kingdom’s economy.
The TCEB is also holding a campaign named "Thailand’s MICE United II" – a cooperation among the bureau, the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Thai Airways International and the Ratchaprasong Square Trade Association.
Established last year and now being held for the second time, the campaign aims to reinvigorate Thailand’s positive image and reinforce confidence among the national business community, Parichat said.
"Thailand’s MICE United II", together with the other TCEB brand-communications campaign – "Thailand CONNECT The World" – and other market-development initiatives, is expected to enable the country to welcome 1.036 million business-event travellers from all countries this year, earning the economy Bt106.78 billion.
These goals represent year-on-year increases of 17 and 22 per cent respectively.
Largely brought by multi-level marketing companies, Chinese business travellers have a tendency to take part in meetings and incentive events in Thailand, and have a preference for luxurious, tailor-made products.
Such companies, including big names like Infinitus China, Amway China and Herbalife Asia-Pacific Extravaganza, each have scales of more than 10,000 delegates travelling to Thailand, Parichat said.
The groups tend to stay in Thailand for a short time, generally from three to five days, but their spending is rather high, at around Bt80,000 per person per trip, largely on shopping for luxury products and services, she said.
Apart from shopping and major business destinations like Bangkok, travellers from China like to visit "exotic" places, whether those with beaches like Pattaya or Phuket or those with cultural sites like Chiang Mai or Khon Kaen.
Therefore, Parichat said, the creation of business packages including both Bangkok and those local destinations will make a perfect overall package for Chinese business travellers, and consequently attract more of them to the Kingdom.
Government policies of the two countries will also facilitate the nations’ economic strategies, with Thailand being economically active towards East Asia and China planning to recover its legendary Silk Road under its "One Belt One Road" initiative, heading towards maritime-connected lands like Asean countries, including Thailand.
The initiative also heads to new markets such as the Middle East, which serves as a further onward link to Africa and Europe, said the marketing director.
