China’s domestic MICE on rapid growth

In a recent study on China’s MICE market, the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Foundation found that 138.5 million domestic trips were used for business purposes last year, with MICE business travellers spending approximately USD110 billion during those trips.
The study, titled “Market Assessment of MICE Business Travel in China,” shows that domestic business travel for MICE purposes comprises 42 percent of trips. The first ever assessment of China’s business events market reveals that the majority of business event trips in the country were hosted by Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou, which accounted for 27, 25 and 24 percent respectively, followed by Hong Kong (11 percent) and Macau (6 percent).
Joseph Bates, GBTA Foundation Vice President of Research, said the MICE segment presents a large opportunity for travel suppliers and that they expect more rapid growth as China’s economy expands, surpassing the United Sates’ domestic MICE travel expenditure. According to the study, 86 percent of business travellers have taken trips in China for MICE purposes, with an average stay length of 2.9 days. Moreover, around 29 percent of Chinese business travelers expect an increase in MICE meetings in 2016.