TCEB targets income of 18 bln from MICE

BANGKOK, Jan 27 (TNA) -- Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) revealed strategies to propel the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) businesses, targeting to attracted at least 200,000 MICE tourists, while aiming to generate up to 18 billion baht. Vice President for Strategy and Business Development at TCEB Ms Supawan Teerarat said that Thailand was able to welcome up to 180,480 international exhibitors in 2016, which helped to reel in 15.686 billion baht. For 2017, TCEB has targeted to attract up to around 208,000 MICE visitors, which should generate as high as 18 billion baht for the country, as Thailand is ranked as the top destination for international exhibitions in ASEAN due to number of venues and areas and sales. In 2016, the MICE sector had drawn in about 1 million tourist arrivals to the country, reeling in as high as 90 billion baht in income, while Thai products exhibition both domestically and internationally have attracted 17 million visitors, generating an income of 125 billion baht. Ms Supawan said although the world economy is expected to fluctuate this year, the economy in Asia would continually develop, with Thai tourism predicted to expand, as Chinese, Indian, and Singaporean tourists would continuously arrive in Thailand. China and Japan, meanwhile, have also expressed continued interests in holding exhibitions in Thailand, prompting TCEB to believe that the meetings aspect of MICE could grow by 5-10 per cent, while the exhibitions part would increase by 10-15 per cent this year, bringing in an income of 100 billion baht. (TNA)