Brought to you by Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia
MICE is a sector that contributes a high impact on the economy for the Republic of Indonesia. Based on Presidential Instruction, tourism development nowadays is not merely focusing on the quantity, but rather on quality tourism. The main targets of quality tourism are the increase of foreign exchange; added- value; destination readiness; human resources capacity; environmental support; and tourism branding with competitiveness. One of the strategies to increase quality tourism is by targeting tourist segments with high expenditure, including MICE- segment tourists. By focusing on increasing this quality tourism, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economic of the Republic of Indonesia is committed to developing MICE industries.
Based on an International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) report, MICE segment tourists’ expenditure recorded 53% larger than leisure segment tourists. Furthermore, MICE segment tourists’ length of stay is longer than leisure visitors, and MICE visitors average five days.
MICE not only give economic benefits, MICE activities also increase the pride of the city that hosts high level international and domestic MICE business events. Holding these high level events will significantly affect business development, social-cultural elements, and education.
Based on the ICCA statistics and Country and City Rankings in 2019, Indonesia is in the 41st position of countries that have held international associations meetings with Indonesia’s total international participants of 37,874 pax. Meanwhile, in the Asia Pacific region, Indonesia is in the 10th position with 95 international association meetings. This rank is one rung higher than its 11th position in 2018. In terms of total delegations, Indonesia is in the 4th position from its competitors among Southeast Asian countries.
The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy has also defined 7 MICE Priority Destinations, which are: Bali, Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Medan, and Makassar.
These 7 MICE Priority Destinations are defined by MICE facilities that fulfill the standards and destination attractions that have become the magnet for previous business events, such as business associations, governments, educational associations and various international or national institutions. Public infrastructure development, such as air, road, and sea accessibility and also the provision of MICE facilities in those 7 MICE Priority Destinations are primary keys to ensure that business events organized there were implemented smoothly and efficiently and on budget.
Indonesia also offers its Unique Selling Points (USP) as international MICE destinations, such as consistent economic growth, its vast domestic market, and demographic bonus that have become attractive for investment and international businesses.
In order to recover Indonesian MICE business to pre-COVID levels, there are several strategies that Indonesia is developing: MICE development strategies program 2021 – 2024; MICE professional competency-based online training; bidding for international MICE events in Indonesia; and implementing obligatory Cleanliness, Health, Safety, and Environment Sustainability (CHSE) protocols for MICE industries in this New Normal Era. By taking these actions, Indonesia shows itself ready for the New Era of MICE.
