Nepal with high potential of MICE tourism

Meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) is a type of tourism in which large groups, usually planned well in advance, are brought together. There has been an industry trend towards using the term ‘meetings industry’ to avoid confusion from the acronym. Other industry educators are recommending the use of “events industry” to be an umbrella term for the vast scope of the meeting and events and profession.

Most components of MICE are well understood, perhaps with the exception of incentives. Incentive tourism is usually undertaken as a type of employee reward by a company or institution for targets met or exceeded, or a job well done. Unlike the other types of MICE tourism, incentive tourism is usually conducted purely for entertainment, rather than professional or education purposes. MICE events are usually centred on a theme or topic and are aimed at a professional, academic, entertainment or trade organization or other special interest groups.

Nepal is a perfect destination for MICE tourism in terms of weather, diverse culture; luxury hotels with multiple meeting venues that add a lot of values. However, good airline connectivity, lesser transit hours and multiple airline fleet options and international airport logistics are a key priority for development of MICE tourism.

With good cooperation among the hotels great improvement in terms of revenue will be possible in MICE tourism in Nepal. Nepal should be able to increase the rates with all the treasures Nepal has to offer. The hotels in Kathmandu were offering convenient conference facilities and so many possibilities for incentive and team building not many countries can offer all of this.

Nepal had gained reputation as an international meeting and seminar destination in the world’s business community. Choosing Nepal as a destination for such events helps blend business with pleasure in the best way possible. Many international and national summits, expos, exhibitions are organized within the country making it an ideal destination for MICE tourism. Conference halls and top five star hotels in all major cities provide good meeting facilities at par with international standards, while professional organizers that include hotels, event managers and tour operators have eased the process of organizing and managing these events.

MICE is perfectly a business tourism at its best, focused on bringing together top experts from various industries in a more improved and catering to them with tailor-made hospitality services. 

Thus, MICE is a wonderful blend of business and travel. Nepal has a competitive advantage and can build on a destination’s distinct characteristics, encouraging MICE tourism further. As this form of tourism base is closely related to the travel and hotel industries, Nepal’s tourism industry as a whole can benefit even more. It also aids any firm in expanding its client base while maintaining the current market.

There are some places in Nepal that can be great destinations for MICE tourism providing clients unique blends of prospects for enhancing your business with partners, possible investors, customers, and suppliers, as well as the sharing of innovative ideas.

Nepal government had decided to prioritize MICE tourism to bring high spending tourists to the country. In the budget for Fiscal Year 2019-20, then Minister for Finance said that the government intends to build roads and meeting venues to promote MICE tourism. 

The country has to build more infrastructures like big conference halls and exhibition grounds with multiple facilities, which are a pre-requisite for MICE tourism to expand. Remarkably, the only proper conference hall in the country, International Convention Centre, has been used by parliament for the past many years. 

Coronavirus pandemic caused an extensive loss in the tourism industries across the world. Nepal also had to bear a great extent of losses in the tourism business.

The situation of pandemic is expected to be over soon as vaccines and precautions have been developed and people are gaining confidence over the pandemic features.

Therefore, the government and the business community now considering on the revival of the tourism business. For Nepal, expanding the MICE tourism is expected to payoff better once people feel free from the pandemic situation in the global scenario and national as well.

The potential MICE destinations like Chitwan, Kathmandu Valley, Pokhara, Lumbini and some others may be considered for adding facilities or remake fit for the potential extensive business in near future. (By R. P. Narayan)