For those who have achieved high targets, nothing less than an incentive in faraway lands will do. The good news is, many longhaul destinations are now wooing Asian MICE groups with a seriousness never seen before
Uncle Sam wants you
Increased Brand USA presence in Asia, more marketing efforts and friendlier visa rules are a fillip for US players to look east for new sources, reports Raini Hamdi
Uncle Sam is saying ‘I want you’ to Asian leisure and MICE groups and is stepping up engagement in the region to ensure there is no Lost in Translation in communicating the desire.
Brand USA is beating the drums for the first time at ITB Asia this month and launching a consumer advertising campaign in Asian markets this quarter, on the heels of campaigns done in Canada, Japan and the UK last year, which increased intent to travel from those markets by 12 to 14 per cent, according to Brand USA Taiwan & Hong Kong managing director, Reene Ho-Phang.
The ensuing higher recall among Asian consumers and the travel trade is expected to have a rub-on effect on MICE as the higher interest to visit the US trickles down to Asian meeting planners. It is also empowering US destination providers, including big brand names such as Las Vegas Sands (LVS) and Trump Hotel Collection (THC), to invest more on cultivating Asian markets.
THC opened its first Asian representative office, in Shanghai, in March and, apart from China, is also keen on South-east Asian markets Singapore and Thailand. LVS’ The Venetian & The Palazzo in Las Vegas is building a dedicated sales team for Asia and has just hired its director for Asia leisure sales, Elizabeth Hanson. Until now, Asian sales was handled by the overall sales team but the property believes that having an Asian who understands Asian markets’ social and cultural nuances better, and who knows the product well, will enable it to “adjust the experience to match the expectations”, said Robert Rippee, The Venetian & The Palazzo’s SVP for marketing. Hanson, Chinese, continues to be based in Las Vegas, where she has been for almost seven years.
“Having a dedicated Asian sales team gives us a solidified strategy to deepen our relationship with wholesalers and the media in the Asian marketplace,” said Rippee. “We also want the Asian meetings market. Las Vegas compares well with New York, Chicago and Miami in quality and availability of air services and, from that perspective, is a strong alternative as a MICE destination for the Asian markets.”
Rippee has his eyes peeled on China, Japan and South Korea, saying much of this prioritisation was based on the markets’ growth projections and a function of visa waiver and friendlier visa processing. Currently, the Asian market mix is “relatively small” for The Venetian & The Palazzo, with business being “overwhelmingly the US and Canada”.
“Las Vegas has always been that way. The number of inbound Chinese to Las Vegas is a little over a million right now and the goal is to grow that by about 10 per cent a year. So we’re looking at what our fair share of that is. We think we will do quite well because we have a high-end product and a brand they (Asians) are familiar with (thanks to LVS’ footprint in Macau and Singapore),” said Rippee.
In February 2012, president Barack Obama signed an Executive Order to increase visa-processing capacity in China and, since March 16 this year, the US Embassy and all six Consulates located in Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang and Wuhan have implemented a new system that makes it easier for applicants to schedule visa interview appointments, pay visa processing fees and check on the status of their issued visas.
China is expected to yield a total of 3.4 million visitors through 2018 – a 299 per cent growth – the second largest number of additional visitors behind Canada.
Likewise, in Hong Kong, new, streamlined procedures to schedule appointments, pay visa application fees and deliver passports free to home or office have been implemented since March 16 this year.
Asian countries such as Taiwan and Singapore are included in a Visa Waiver Programme.
In Asia, Brand USA – a public-private partnership established in 2010 to spearhead global marketing efforts for the US – is now represented in Australia, New Zealand, China, India, Japan, South Korea and, most recently, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Along with the advertising campaign in Asian markets it is launching this quarter, Brand USA will also be holding MegaFam trips for the media and travel trade from markets where it has international offices, said Ho-Phang.
“The MegaFam trips will feature multiple itineraries to showcase parts of the USA that remain unexplored, including the West Coast/California, the Pacific Northwest, the West, the Upper Midwest, the Southeast/Texas, and the Northeast,” she said.
“In addition, sales missions featuring US travel suppliers will be organised for the Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore markets.”
Added Ho-Phang: “As part of Brand USA’s marketing effort, we are the global sponsor for World Baseball Classic which gives us broadcast, social media, event and in-stadium marketing opportunities. The tournament features the world’s best players representing 16 countries and territories during 39 games to be played in Japan, Taiwan, Puerto Rico and the US. Fifty per cent of the participating teams are from countries that are in our top-tier inbound markets, which give us great strategic outreach.”
WHERE TO GO
Natural and manmade wonders
Brand USA Taiwan & Hong Kong managing director, Reene Ho-Phang, picks a few US destinations that are actively pursuing Asian markets. Here’s her take:
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas hosts over 2,000 MICE groups every year. In 2012, this international renowned city welcomed a record of 39.7 million visitors and hosted 21,615 meetings, tradeshows and conventions, up 13.6 per cent from 2011. It also saw 4.9 million delegates attending a convention, tradeshow or meeting in 2012, a 1.6 per cent increase over 2011 and the highest convention attendance in four years.
The populous city in the US state of Nevada offers a multitude of leisure options. For Asians, the iconic city is the window to the Grand Canyon. The world famed Las Vegas Strip is home to some of the world’s best hotels, resorts and Michelin-starred establishments.
Capitol Region: Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland
The city of Washington, in the District of Columbia, and the surrounding states of Virginia and Maryland are collectively known as the Capital Region. With over 25 museums, monuments, memorials and landmarks, the two-mile National Mall which includes the Lincoln Memorial and the White House is a quintessential place for Asians to learn about the history of America.
Visitors can journey beyond the capital city to discover natural escapes, distinctive cuisines, indulgent wineries, exciting shopping and culture-rich cities across Virginia and Maryland.
Michigan
For Asians seeking a getaway and to enjoy the beauty with nature, Michigan is the place to be. From the shores of the Great Lakes to the peaks of the Porcupine Mountains, the hum of the thriving Motor City to the bounty of pastoral farmland, the peninsula unveils a different side of the US. Travellers can also find nearly 800 public golf courses at this spring-summer vacation sanctuary.
Los Angeles, California
Universal Studios Hollywood is a favourite leisure and MICE destination among Asians. The key highlight is The Studio Tour where travellers can visit the 13 city blocks on four acres of historic studio lot in the largest set construction project in studio history, built with creative consultation from Steven Spielberg himself. The Studio Tour also includes the award-winning King Kong 360 3-D created by Peter Jackson and the Wisteria Lane from ABC’s hit series Desperate Housewives.
Finland’s direct intentions
With Asia at the centre of Finnair’s growth strategy, Finland tourism authorities are rolling up their sleeves to see how the country can attract more Asian MICE groups, reports Xinyi Liang-Pholsena
Thanks to Finnair’s Asia-centric strategy, the Northern lights are twinkling for Asian planners. The flag carrier has been aggressively pushing itself as “the most direct route” between Europe and Asia via Helsinki, helping to banish any notions Finland might be too far away for a meeting. Add to that a decent network: Finnair now connects Helsinki to 13 Asian destinations, the most recent additions being Xi’an, China and Hanoi, Vietnam, with the carrier set to expand further in the region in the years ahead.
All this is encouraging the country’s tourism authorities, Visit Finland – as how the Finnish Tourist Board (FTB) is known outside Finland – and the Finland Convention Bureau (FCB) to court more Asian guests.
“We would surely like to see more meetings and incentives from Asian countries,” said Jaana Koivistoinen, FCB’s marketing manager of international association meetings. “Finnair has good connections from Asian markets to Finland, so that is one basic requirement to make it easy to come to Finland.”
The bureau is conducting an Asian market research, according to Koivistoinen. It expects the strongest growth to come from China in the next two years. Both FTB and FCB are also participating at ITB Asia in Singapore this month, with FCB keen to meet MICE operators from the region, according to Koivistoinen.
“We try to make it easy (for operators) to contact us. We meet MICE buyers from China, Japan, India and other parts of Asia at IMEX and EIBTM in Europe and ITB Asia in Singapore.
“FTB representatives in Japan, Hong Kong (handling Hong Kong and South China), Beijing (handling Beijing and Chongqing), Shanghai (handling East China) and India are also working for FCB and are in touch with the travel trade, including incentive operators, in their respective regions. MICE operators are also invited to our trade events in these countries and regions,” she said.
Papori Bharati, FTB’s marketing representative for India, said most Indian MICE traffic to Finland comprised incentive travel. FCB had conducted training programmes and MICE workshops to convince Indian incentive houses to take their clients to Finland, she said.
“Lapland is the most sought-after destination because of snow and the winter activities. During summer, (the demand) is mostly for cruises and the Helsinki Region, including Turku, as well as the midnight sun,” observed Bharati.
If only there were more flights and marketing dollars, there would be a lot more Indian incentive groups to Finland, she opined.
“India does not have the frequent flight connections to Finland as China and Japan have, hence a big chunk of (potential) travel and tourism is lost. Finnair flies only from Delhi, so it does not work out for the rest of the country,” she said. “We also need a bigger marketing budget to spread the awareness (of Finland).”
Agreeing, Petri Vuori, Finnair’s area vice president, global sales, commercial division, said: “Helsinki is well-known for conferences during summer but we would like to increase the awareness of other areas in Finland too. Northern Finland has exotic destinations where we fly to and there is a lot to offer, especially to incentive groups from Asia.
“We are happy to co-operate with many Asian agents specialising in MICE travel, but also welcome more agents to explore the potential Finnair and Finland can offer.”
As well, he pointed out: “Finnair is offering a European network of about 60 destinations to all MICE agents across Asia.”
WHERE TO GO
Break the ice and enjoy the midnight sun
Lapland
Finland’s northernmost region of Lapland is one of the best destinations to view the natural phenomenon of Aurora Borealis, which can be observed between late August and late April. In winter, delegates can stay in a traditional snow igloo or glass igloo – a perfect vantage point to lie back and look up to the Northern Lights. To complete the Polar experience, luxuriate in a sauna and enjoy meals of reindeer meat. The Igloo Village is also home to a snow chapel and ice bar, both built every winter, and open between December/January and (depending on the weather conditions) until end-April.
In summer, delegates can experience 24 hours of sunlight in Finland, providing ample opportunities to partake in outdoor activities such as river-rafting, sailing schooners or river boats, fishing, biking and barbecuing in the middle of the ‘white night’. With good timing, they can enjoy the scores of outdoor events and festivals taking place across the country during this period, such as the Midnight Sun Film Festival in Lapland’s Sodankylä. Lighting bonfires and bathing in saunas are two of the most typical traditions in Midsummer celebrations.
Kemi
Sampo (www.sampotours.com), the former icebreaker for the Finnish government, has been turned into cruiseship in the northern port town of Kemi since 1987. Delegates will be given a guided tour of the ship, complete with visits to the engine room and the captain’s bridge. They will also have the unique opportunity to witness the icebreaker in action as the majestic vessel calls through the thick coat of ice in the Gulf of Bothnia. For gutsy incentive winners, the ultimate experience is to gear up in a thermal floatation suit and take a dip in the icy waters.
Helsinki
Known as a congress destination, Helsinki (www.meethelsinki.fi) has ample high-quality hotels, meeting facilities and pre- and post-meeting activities for delegates.
One of the most established MICE venues in Helsinki is Finlandia Hall (www.finlandiatalo.fi). Centrally located amid park-like surroundings, Finlandia Hall is ideal for conferences and exhibitions, with a new 2,200m² Veranda space, 27 meeting rooms and a 650-seat restaurant. A masterpiece by the great Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, Finlandia Hall is worth a visit in its own right.
Finland’s largest MICE facility, the 130,000m² Helsinki Exhibition & Convention Centre (www.messukeskus.com) has seven exhibition halls, 40 meeting rooms and a 2,000-seat restaurant, all of which can be modified to suit events of different sizes.
The centre’s makeover is being unveiled this autumn.
Helsinki Congress Passitorni ( www.paasitorni.fi) is housed in a 100-year-old restored building by the sea. Passitorni has 30 conference rooms that can accommodate a maximum of 800 pax and four restaurants. In August 2012, the opening of three new conference rooms, a restaurant and the adjoining 170-room Scandic Paasi hotel expanded the centre’s facilities.
Bonjourno, bon apetito!
By Shekhar Niyogi
In an enviable position of having no fewer than 60 conference centres, each with a minimum capacity of 1,000 delegates; a string of large exhibition grounds in key cities; and a massive network of important industries including fashion, machinery, automobile and food, Italy is a natural magnet for MICE events, including incentive travel.
ENIT, the Italian state tourist board, has been taking these offerings to Asian planners through roadshows and various cultural, art, musical and gastronomic promotions in major Asian cities, and through fam trips to Italy.
Leading travel trade events such as BIT in Milan, TTI in Rimini and BTC, an exclusive MICE event in Florence, have their fair share of Asian outbound tour operators and MICE event planners as hosted delegates. Regional events like Buy Tuscany, Buy Emilia Romagna and Via Veneto have also courted the Asian outbound travel professionals.
Said Salvatore Ianniello, head, ENIT India office: “MICE is an important segment. It has shown a constant growth in the last four years. We have conducted several initiatives (in India) and have seen a growth of 70-80 per cent yearly. We are confident that Italy will become a preferred destination for MICE (for Indians). MICE is definitely one of our major targets and will be part of our strategy.”
Asians, according to Alice Pellegrino, incentive tour manager, Toscana Promozione, a regional NTO, love Asian food and wine, making it easy for a gourmet heaven like Tuscany to host a business event or an exclusive incentive tour.
In general, Tuscany and Emilia Romagna are preferred destinations for incentive travel for most Asians, while destinations such as Milan, Bologna and Turin are popular for meetings and high-end Asian incentives.
For congresses and conventions, the most popular destination cities are Rome, Florence and Venice.
Margherita Ruggiero, director of marketing, Rome-based Motivation MICE, said: “Major Asian companies have shown a distinct preference for historical venues for meetings while incentive tours have their focus on gastronomy, motor cars and art. So visits to Parma, Florence, Modena and Maranello are preferred by Asians.”
Francesca Soffici, general manager, Modenatur, agreed, saying: “Asian MICE clients love the gourmet presentations of prosciutto, parmigiano-reggiano and lambrusco in Parma and Modena. They also love the Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari for events, as the setting is both historical and modern, in the home of Enzo Ferrari.”
WHERE TO GO
Fast cars and certainly not fast food
Imola
Perhaps the most popular activity that Asian MICE planners can consider is the Motor Valley incentive tour to the F1 race track in Imola where participants in small groups can drive Ferraris on the race track, supervised by expert drivers. This experience is usually followed by a visit to the museum at the Ferrari factory or to the production line at the Lamborghini factory.
Ambra Pezzoli of Societa Turismo Area Imolese (STAI) said, “Our promotion of various experiential tours using Ferrari 430 cars has become extremely popular with Asian incentive groups.”
Tuscany
Another popular incentive itinerary is to the Chianti region in Tuscany where farmhouse stays in the famous wineries are coupled with tasting of the region’s best wines, truffles, balsamic vinegar and top quality olive oils while touring the production facilities of each.
Florence
Remodelled structures like Stazione Leopolda in Florence have emerged as popular venue for Asian conferences and meetings. It has even hosted a fashion show by an Asian designer.
Running of the bulls
By Shekhar Niyogi
Spain Tourism is conducting training seminars and destination/venue presentations for MICE planners in Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, India and Singapore in a bid to attract more Asian meetings and incentives.
It finds a willing audience among the Spain industry, as seen by the participation of some 20 DMCs, hotels and regional tourist boards in an Indian roadshow organised by Spain Tourism last month in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. This was followed by a trade fam for Indian travel consultants in September, and another this month, to Madrid, Ibiza and UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Spain, to familiarise them further with the product, according to Arturo Ortiz Arduán, tourism counsellor and director, Spain Tourism, in India.
Carlos de Garriz, commercial director-MICE, Viajes Iberoservice, said: “We attend all major trade events in Asia and partner with Spain Tourism to promote MICE destinations in Spain. We have seen an average 15 per cent growth year-on-year (from Asia) in the last 10 years.”
Spain has long been a strong MICE destination. Barcelona, which hosts EIBTM each year, ranks as the second MICE city in the world, while Madrid is among the top five on ICCA’s world ranking. The country has the infrastructure to cope with business events of any size, having over 50 airports, the largest high-speed railway network in Europe and more than 10,000 hotels and 50 conference venues in the main cities.
“Opportunities to shoot Bollywood movies (in Spain) add to the destination’s popularity in India but direct flights – none exist now – will help (to grow) incentive travel,” said Ashwani Gupta, managing partner, Dove Travels.
It is not just in India that Spain Tourism is active. “Similar promotions are being done in the Asia-Pacific region. The results are encouraging,” noted Mercedes Garcia, deputy director, Barcelona Convention Bureau.
Online campaigns have been done within the websites of the travel trade associations in Thailand, and the same will be done in the Philippines and in Indonesia soon. As well, brochures in Thai and Bahasa Indonesia have been printed and distributed.
WHERE TO GO
Real Madrid and beautifully gaudy
Madrid
“Hold an event in Santiago Bernabeu stadium, 85,454-seat home of the famous football club, Real Madrid. Do cocktails, then tour the club, peek at the players’ dressing room and have dinner in a private section of the stadium. If planned ahead, (the group can also catch) a Real Madrid game.” – Koushik Goswami, general manager-outbound, Travelcorp India
“A popular itinerary for Asian incentive groups is a tablao flamenco dinner at El Corral de la Morería, Madrid. Group members may participate in impromptu flamenco lessons.” – Yvonne Otto, director, Unique Trex, Spain
Barcelona
“Our banking and insurance incentive groups love the Anton Gaudi tour in Barcelona at Park Guell and on Passeig de Gracia, followed by a tapas sampling tour on Las Ramblas. – Sushil Wadhwa, chairman, Platinum Incentives, India
A sterling proposition
By Greg Lowe
Business travel and events tourism have become a focus of the UK’s three NTOs – Visit England, VisitScotland and Visit Wales – all of which are looking to the Asian market and are receiving collaborative support from VisitBritain.
VisitEngland is focusing on the Indian market for Asian MICE groups. The organisation now has a dedicated representative based in the country to help build relationships with leading corporates, agencies and MICE-focused media.
“Promoting England as a must-visit destination is key, that’s why we attended IBTM India in Mumbai in September,” said VisitEngland’s spokesperson Natalie Ashworth.
“Asia-Pacific is also a key focus for us and we will be showcasing at AIME in February next year as we did earlier this year.”
VisitScotland is also focused on India and China, to a lesser extent, and is working with partners to educate the Asian market about the destination.
James Cuttica, managing director, Interopa Holidays, said attending May’s Destination Britain Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Asia, which was hosted in Bangkok by VisitBritain, provided his company, which focuses on sports products such as the English Premier League, with its first foray into the Asian market.
Cracking the longhaul Asian market is not without its challenges for DMCs, however. Frances Wyatt, director of sales & marketing at SPECTRA, said the company had only fielded 42 enquiries from the region in the past few years, most of which were China-related.
Average groups sizes were 30-40 pax, though there had been requests for up to 650 guests.
“Of the above we have approximately five per cent conversion, which is dramatically down in comparison to the majority of the other markets we work with, although some of this may be due to the competitiveness of this market, the number of agencies which bid for the programme and the issues with visas which we understand are improving,” she said.
WHERE TO GO
Whiskies and curries
Given its size, history and diversity of cultures, Britain has a lot to offer MICE planners.
While executive groups may look to take in a Premier League match at one of England’s top clubs in London, Manchester or Liverpool fans of track-and-field events may look to incorporate a pre- or post-event visits to Scotland, which is hosting the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next July and The Ryder Cup at Gleneagles next September, the first time the world’s premier golfing event has been held in the country in four decades.
Heritage visits, whisky tours and a choice of more than 500 golf courses provide planners with plenty of other elements to add to their itineraries, said Richard Knight, marketing manager for North America & Emerging Markets at VisitScotland.
“The Royal Yacht Britannia and historic castles are a firm favourite with overseas visitors into Scotland, along with many of the historic unique venues we have in the country,” he said.
“There are also over 100 whisky distilleries that can be toured for a true taste of the national drink.”
Fans of food, which includes Britain’s favourite dish – curry – may want to visit the country’s curry capital of Birmingham, which is also home to a wide range of other Asian restaurants, said VisitEngland’s spokesperson Natalie Ashworth.
“Whether you’re in the city centre or heading out to the legendary Balti Triangle, there are plenty of places to spice up an evening,” she said, adding that groups after a more chichi experience could opt for a fine dining experience in Europe’s second tallest building.
“Just a couple of months ago Hutong opened at The Shard – the new restaurant sits at level 33 of the tallest building in Europe and specialises in the relatively unknown cuisine of Northern China and boasts panoramic views of London’s skyline.”
SPECTRA’s director of sales and marketing, Frances Wyatt, recommends a night out in London’s West End to take in a musical such as Phantom of the Opera, rounded off with a stay in one of the city’s classic five-star hotels such as The Savoy, The Dorchester or Grosvenor House.
