Thai MICE market eyes Lao business travellers
Thai MICE market eyes Lao business travellers
Lao business travellers have the potential to drive further growth in Thailand's Meeting, Incentive, Convention, and Exhibition (MICE) industry, according to a visiting Thai expert in the field.
Director of Domestic MICE, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) Mr Puripan Bunnag gave the view at the TCEB MICE Laos Roadshow in Vientiane on Wednesday. He said there are now more than 37,000 Lao business travellers organising seminars and field trips to Thailand, an increase of 26 percent compared to last year.
Mr Puripan said the rate of growth was higher than other countries such as Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam, who were also organising meetings in Thailand.
Asia Development Bank has predicted Laos' economy to grow at 7.3 percent this year and with stable economic growth Lao business travellers are increasingly travelling to Thailand for events.
Mr Puripan stressed the Thai MICE Roadshow was emphasising its confidence in existing maturing markets while expanding growing markets such as Laos.
It was also a good opportunity to build strong links within the MICE industry between Laos and Thailand, he said.
Presently, Thai MICE operators have teamed up with chambers of commerce and tourism councils in the provinces of Savannakhet, Luang Prabang and Khammuan, aiming to promote industry cooperation and attract more Lao business travellers to Thailand.
The TCEB foresees significant growth in the MICE industry amongst CLMVT countries that have a total population of over 300 million people or equal to half of the Asean region.
Exch anging information and meetings with both governments and private sectors in the five countries would help promote investment in logistics and tourism, and understanding the use of the MICE industry to drive various business sectors would result in economic growth in the region, according to the bureau.
