The full-year of 2023 is expected to see around 170,000 professional visitors coming from mainland China, Portuguese-speaking countries, and Southeast Asia
As travel accelerates and business events stage a smart recovery around the world, the Chinese territory of Macau is experiencing a rapid revival in its MICE business.
According to a press statement, the tiny island expects to host 1,000 convention and exhibition activities (MICE) in this year, as per latest data from the Office of the Secretary for Economy and Finance. The data shows that the second half of the current year will be a ‘high season’ for the MICE industry, though the government has not set any targets for this year. In 2019, Macau had over 2 million MICE visitors.
The full-year of 2023 is expected to see around 170,000 professional visitors coming from mainland China, Portuguese-speaking countries, and Southeast Asia, according to the statement.
Macau is believed to have hosted about 30 conventions and exhibitions in June and July, including the ‘2023 Guangdong & Macao Branded Products Fair’ and ‘G2E Asia’, with about 270,000 participants.
“In the second half of the year, the Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) will continue to organise or support various types of conventions or exhibitions scheduled in Macau, involving the tourism, big health, cutting-edge technology, modern finance, culture, and sports industries, among others,” says Lei Wai Nong’s office. Nong is a member of the specialised group for studying community economic development policies of the Economic Development Council.
The statement adds that in the first half of 2023, IPIM organised or provided support to over 200 MICE activities. The first quarter of 2023 saw a significant increase in MICE events in Macau, according to data from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC), with the total number of MICE events rising by 114.4 pc year-on-year to 208.
The government says that Macau has been rated by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) as one of the most open trade and investment regimes in the world. It is a free port and an independent tariff zone, with Macau’s role as a trade and economic co-operation service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries has received increasing recognition over the years.
