MICE set to drive ahead Thai economy

BANGKOK, July 19 (TNA) - Thailand's Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conventions, Exhibitions (MICE) has been set to be a major force to drive ahead the national economy in the coming years. New chief of Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) Jirut Isarankura Na Ayudhya told journalists of the policy on Wednesday, saying he has initially set a target that Thailand's MICE industry should grow by 5 per cent annually. Jirut revealed that Thailand's MICE industry has earned the Kingdom about 150 billion baht over the past decade, created about 164,000 jobs and raised the government's tax revenues by over 10 billion baht. According to the new TCEB chief, he has laid out four strategies to develop the MICE industry to become a key force to drive forward the national economy. They include promoting Thailand to become a forefront on the global stages for the MICE industry through rendering support for more Thai entrepreneurs to gain their internationally-certified professional status to enable them to participate in world trade shows and roadshows at least 8-10 events annually and joining forces with allied agencies to produce MICE goods and services to serve international tourists. Besides, TCEB will also expand the Thai MICE industry to provincial areas, focusing on businesses promoted under the government's Thailand 4.0 policy, namely those in the bio-agricultural and energy sectors, as well as in special economic zones (SEZs), while also supporting the development of more innovations in the Thai MICE industry to boost the national competitiveness. (TNA)