Chinese buyers looking for safe and new options for business events and association meetings are eyeing Sri Lanka in Asia and countries in Africa, where the local authorities are keen to support and grow their share of the pie.
Beijing-based IME Consulting, which works with major tradeshow organisers, led 15 buyers from Shanghai, Beijing, Wuhan and Hong Kong to Sanganai Hlanganani World Tourism Expo, dubbed, Kumbanayi, in Zimbabwe last month.
According to founder and managing director, Alicia Yao, Zimbabwe – one of three African countries hosting the 2027 Cricket World Cup – wants corporate events and named Victoria Falls as having the requisite infrastructure.
Yao continued: “Victoria Falls has good hotels and special programmes. For week-long corporate incentives, itineraries can be organised to cover one or two cities, including the capital, Harare.”
Industrial development in Wuhan is growing rapidly and Chinese companies, she added, are also investing in Africa, and an incentive group of about 200 people is heading to Zambia next month.
Authorities in Sri Lanka are laying out the welcome mat and 10 Chinese buyers participated in the September 22 to 26 Sri Lanka MICE Expo and fam trip, while another 17 who attended the September 23 to 25 IT&CM Asia in Bangkok went on a post-trip.
Yao commented that Sri Lanka is perceived as “safe”, compared to some other destinations in South-east Asia where news of kidnappings and job scams still linger.
“The price in Sri Lanka is also good,” she commented, adding that the opening of the sprawling Cinnamon Life complex offering 687 luxurious rooms, multiple entertainment venues, and state-of-the-art convention facilities, is a boon.
IME consulting led 64 Chinese association, corporate and incentive buyers to ITB Asia 2025, up from 50 last year. The bulk of 35 buyers were from Shanghai and Beijing – for corporate and association meetings respectively, and the rest from Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Chongqing, Wuhan and Xi’an.
