TICA MICE UPDATE

TCEB backs Phuket MICE promotion

PHUKET, 25 September 2019: Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau partners with Phuket’s travel industry to promote the Andaman Sea island as an events destination. Phuket is the latest destination to be identified as a MICE city eligible for TCEB promotions and support.

Campaigns will position the island as a venue for high-end meetings and incentives groups highlighting marine and cultural diversity.

TCEB president, Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, announced Tuesday a new direction to drive Phuket as a “world-class meetings destination for MICE that offers new experiences through marine beauty and cultural diversity”.

He claimed studies of Phuket MICE City indicated the island has the potential to “soar as a leading MICE city like other international destinations.”

He said success was possible due to improved air connectivity from Asian cities to Phuket International Airport, which will expand passenger capacity from 12.5 to 18 million annually.

There are direct flights from Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Korea, Russia, the USA, the UAE and Sweden.

Phuket has 220 convention venues with 615 meeting rooms or more. Also, there are more than 600 hotels with over 40,000 rooms to serve delegates.

Also, construction of light rail transit is in progress between the airport and Phuket town.

TCEB’s MICE City development strategy will adopt “target-oriented public relations and marketing using mainly social media.

However, a significant challenge remains to train MICE personnel and introduce MICE curriculums at the university level as well as improve internships at internationally branded hotels.

For the domestic market, Phuket will promote MICE facilities and services based on various themes such as Fascinating History and Culture, Exhilarating Adventure, Treasured Team Building and Green Meetings. In 2018, MICE travellers registered 2,216,230 in Phuket, which increased by 167.94% from 2017, generating revenue of THB19,544.16 million expanding by 87.75%.