Thailand
Thailand Promotes MICE Industry in Laos
(KPL) The Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and the Lao Association of Travel Agencies (LATA) on Jun 20 joined hands to hold the “Thailand MICE Roadshow Lao PDR 2017” to boost the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) industry in the Lao PDR.
This event also aimed to promote business matching between Lao businessmen and Thai private sectors in the MICE industry.
The Domestic MICE Director of TCEB, Puripan Bunnag said that the roadshow was held to consolidate networking of MICE entrepreneurs both in Thailand and Laos, and to boost connectivity and leverage capability of the MICE industry in the Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand (CLMVT) region for an integrated expansion towards GMS in 2018.
“Laos, as other CLMV countries, has a long-standing relationship with Thailand. Both nations have maintained extensive cooperation in various aspects of development over the past years,” said Mr Puripan.
“The Thailand MICE Roadshow Lao PDR 2017” forum will provide an effective platform for insight into knowledge and policy, together with a ‘shared experience’ session and a sales promotion for seminars and tourism retreats, especially on how to position the MICE industry as a key engine for driving the business sector,” he said.
At the event, 14 Thai companies showcased their products and services, as well as the newly launched special promotions for seminars and tourism retreats for representatives of more than 50 local companies, mostly from the tourism industry.
“The linked border among the CLMVT countries makes our region an attractive destination to travellers in terms of logistic convenience. Accordingly, it is pivotal to strengthen the cooperation among CLMVT countries for enhancing the MICE industry to attach the increasing numbers of MICE travellers,” said Mr Puripan.
LATA President Somphong Dayviengxay said that this roadshow is significant for enhancing cooperation between business sectors in Laos and Thailand. It is also an opportunity for both Lao and Thai businessmen to share experiences and lessons.
“This roadshow is a constructive cooperation between the public and private sectors of Thailand and Laos in order to progress towards promoting the MICE industry in the two nations,” said Thai Ambassador to Laos Nobphdon Thebphithak.
He also added the The Thai Embassy in Vientiane is ready to help coordinate and support the promotion of the MICE industry so that it can grow sustainably and generate win-win benefits for the two nations.
It has been reported that MICE travellers’ spending is 3.5 times stronger than any other groups of travellers.
In 2016, there were more than 11,270 MICE travellers crossing from Laos to Thailand, which boosted the revenue to Thailand up to more than 1,000 million Baht.
Source: http://kpl.gov.la/En/Detail.aspx?id=25545