According to a report by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the global tourism and travel sector is worth US$7 trillion, while the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) sub sector of the industry was projected to be worth around US$876 billion in 2022.
However, Africa is estimated to account for only US$13 – US$14 billion of that figure, which represents a meagre 2 per cent market share of the industry. In comparison, the United States MICE market was estimated to be $72.6 billion in 2021!
A global MICE industry report by Research Drive predicts that the global MICE market size will grow with a CAGR of 7.0 per cent and generate revenues within the region of US$1.99 trillion by 2031. This provide an opportunity for tourism stakeholders Africa to be more proactive in building a sustainable and thriving MICE market.
How can this be done? Here are 3 ways to revolutionise the MICE sector in Africa
Improve on digital technology to create better hybrid events:
The global pandemic and travel restrictions gave rise to the popularity of virtual meetings, events and conferences. However, with the return of business travel and MICE tourism, travellers have been observed to be more selective of their travel preferences, and are more likely to favour hybrid-styled events – a fusion of both in-person and virtual attendance – going forward.
Developing existing internet infrastructure to improve network connectivity will help to improve the virtual experience for remote attendees. As a by-product of this, it will be easier to incorporate virtual networking side events, Q&A sessions and other forms of audience engagement to keep everybody interested.
Hotels, event halls, conference centres and other facilities that are commonly used for these events should look towards investing in high-quality audiovisual equipment which will greatly improve users experience. A dedicated technical support team should also be on hand to help attendees troubleshoot any issues they may encounter.
MICE: Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions
Make events more accessible for people with disabilities:
More than 80 million people in Africa – about 6.6 per cent of the continent’s population – are living with disabilities, according to the United Nations. Therefore, it is important for stakeholders in Africa’s MICE industry – policymakers, event planners, architects and designers – to begin to work towards making events, festivals, conferences, etc. more accessible for persons with disabilities
Some factors to be considered in making your events accessible include:
- Making sure your venues and destinations are externally and internally physically accessible to wheelchair users and the visually-impaired. Other facilities such as the restrooms, restaurants and lodging facilities also need to be accessible.
- Allowing for designated seating areas for attendees with mobility issues.
- Providing assistive technology, such as hearing aids or screen readers for attendees who need them. Bright lights and loud sounds may need to be reduced for comfort.
- Providing sign language interpreters for attendees with hearing impairments. Videos and audios to be used will need real-time captioning or it can be prepared in advance.
- Preparing contingency plans in case of medical emergencies.
Incorporate bleisure into MICE events:
Events and conferences should include city tours and destination visits in the programme schedules, especially when there are foreign visitors. This can serve a dual-purpose. It helps the organisations’ employees increase productivity and job performance. At the same time, it gives the organisers the opportunity the country where the event is being held as a viable tourism destination.
How have you incorporated experiential tours into your business meetings and events?
Countries in SSA that have had some successes so far in developing a thriving MICE industry in Africa are South Africa, Kenya and Ghana. It is no surprise that their domestic tourism sectors are also thriving.
We believe that if cities and countries in Africa focus on exploiting the benefits of the MICE industry, we can develop a strong, competitive and lucrative domestic MICE economy.
Tell us what you think on how Africa can build a profitable MICE market – we’d love to hear from you!