ASIA is growing in importance as a business events source market for Dubai, according to the local MICE bureau, accounting for an estimated 40 per cent of the destination’s total MICE market and taking second place after top market Europe which has almost 60 per cent of market share.
Tariq Abdullah Al Hashimi, senior executive, congress development of government-owned Dubai Convention Bureau, attributes the strength of the Asian source market to the bureau’s incentive programme for MICE buyers.
Support from the programme, which is upgraded every year, varies according to the size of the group. Incentives include welcome kits, a 10 per cent discount at shopping malls, museum tickets and city tours.
Al Hashimi added that the city was tax-free, which meant savings on hotel and restaurant bills.
He said: “MICE is now increasing for Dubai, especially from Asia (and specifically from) China, Malaysia and Singapore. (These travellers) want to have at least two to three days in Dubai.”
He noted that 60 per cent of MICE business from Asia was made up of incentive travel, 20 per cent corporate clients and 20 per cent associations.
Some of the major events coming up in Dubai include an Amway incentive group from Taiwan with 1,000 participants this September; Asian Pacific Dental Congress with 2,000 delegates in June 2014; and a Newscan meeting for 6,000 delegates from China, Malaysia and Hong Kong in April next year.
