Pacific World and German MICE specialist, Eberhard v. Forstner DESTINATIONS+more, have come together to leverage the growing demand for China as a destination for German business groups.
Explaining the motivation behind this partnership, Cindy Zhang, regional director for Greater China at Pacific World, said: “China was Germany’s third-biggest foreign trade partner last year, with 140 billion euros (US$193.5 billion) in turnover passing between the two countries, according to the Federal Statistics Office in Wiesbaden. China also ranks fifth among importers of German goods and is the second biggest exporter to Germany.”
According to Zhang, Pacific World China has seen overall growth in German corporate meetings, incentives, trade missions, product launches and business travel, and has predicted continuous growth this year.
Eberhard von Forstner, owner of DESTINATIONS+more, a company well known in the German-speaking MICE industry and which handles global clients with the majority being Germany-based companies, said: “China and Hong Kong have been on the list of the most (desirable) destinations for German outbound business for years now, as they continue to have something very unique to offer to the MICE market, not least a number of emerging destinations.”
Von Forstner identified Shanghai and Beijing in China as being the most popular among his clients.
“Shanghai is one of the favourites in China (and) is rapidly growing as a MICE destination. The vibrant city offers new venues, from small hotels to the biggest of exhibition centres. Meanwhile, Beijing has vowed to attract more business travellers, especially those from overseas, by rolling out many measures to promote the city’s image as a major tourist destination. Beijing’s long history and rich culture are key advantages for its MICE development,” he explained.
As more Chinese destinations add modern MICE infrastructure and international branded hotels, Von Forstner believes that “the rest of the cities will come into the game once there is special interest” from German corporates.
While Zhang did not give a financial projection of the growth this new partnership would bring, she told TTGmice e-Weekly that “stable and steady growth over the coming years” should be expected, especially in incentive travel business.
