BY TEWODROS KASSA
According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the meetings industry has emerged over recent decades as an important contributor to national economies. The industry has firmly placed itself at the centre of tourism as one of the key drivers of the sector’s development and an important generator of income, employment creation, and investment.
A number of countries have undertaken economic studies on the meetings industry towards effectively leading the sector and generating a tangible income. Therefore, the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) have become a center of attention of the smokeless industry during the 21st century. MICE incorporates the organization, promotion and/or management of events, such as business and trade shows, conventions, conferences and meetings.
Currently, international meetings and Business to Business (B2B) events are one such niche tourism activity that contributes significantly to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of countries as well as effectively help the branding and awareness of the respective country’s tourist destinations. The growth of the international meetings industry has shown promising progress and countries are gaining momentum in the sector despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
Accordingly, the availability of substantial conference facilities for the meetings industry, high quality accommodation services nearby the convention centres, building latest conference centres, availability of affordable cost of flights, sufficient information, internal peace, among others are the fundamental preconditions to make countries become preferable conference tourism destinations and enable them to host conference delegates successfully.
Currently, the Ethiopian government is doing its level best to harness the untapped MICE tourism potentials and attract more international tourists. Recently, the 36th African Union annual Summit and the 42nd Ordinary Session of the Executive Council (Ministerial Session) at the African Union Commission Headquarter, Addis Ababa has been successfully finalized. The summit attracted numerous heads of states, diplomats, journalists, members of international organizations, among others to attend the annual Summit.
Experts suggest that in order to develop the conference tourism potentials, the country should approach international meetings and perform image marketing magnifying a nation’s potential to conduct mega events. Moreover, it is important to establish independent convention organization and establish an administration system to promote convention tourism. Meetings are big business in their own right, and play an important role in supporting other businesses. Meetings promote investment, trade, communications, and technology. Meetings bring education and professional development to the local community, creating jobs and retaining work forces. Events also benefit to showcase local products and services.
OZZIE Business and Hospitality Consultancy Group CEO and Tourism Expert Kumneger Teketel told the Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA) that currently, different countries are working towards effectively harnessing the MICE industry through undertaking constructions of state of the art convention and exhibitions centres. Doing these, enable countries to generate a tangible income from the sector through attracting various international conferences.
According to him, the MICE industry exceeds the income that countries have been generating from the leisure tourism sector. Information proves that the MICE industry generates a 300 to 400 fold income than leisure tourism. Owing to this, giving due attention to the MICE industry will have a significant socio-economic contribution to Ethiopia as it embraces more potentials.
“Establishing standardized convention and exhibition centre is ideal in the efforts to utilize the sector properly. The sector could earn tangible foreign exchange and alleviate the country’s foreign currency crunch. Closer support to such conventions from the government should also be the other assignment to ensure the sector contribution to the national economy and employment opportunities to numerous youths.”
The annual AU Summit contributes an outstanding role in motivating various tourist service providers in Addis Ababa city and tour operators could use this opportunity to provide tour packages around the city and across the country. To realize the objective of harnessing the MICE industry potentials, undertaking wide promotion activities throughout the world is necessary. In doing so, it is possible to maintain a good reputation in hosting successive international conferences in coordination with famous international conference organizers.
Most of the world’s international conferences are held in the construction and health sectors. Thus, providing competitive and luxurious conference services and all the necessary inputs to the success of the conference pays off.
Moreover, the presence of the largest African airliner, Ethiopian that extends its wings to every corner of the world, enables the country to gain special attention in the MICE industry. Numerous cultural and historical tourist destinations, welcoming hospitality, suitable climate, various museums, Friendship, Unity as well as Entoto Parks, among others could become another leading preconditions to choose Addis Ababa for hosting international conferences.
In sum, Ethiopia is expected to generate more from the MICE sector. Being the third largest diplomatic hub in the world, next to New York and Geneva, enables Addis Ababa city to be in the first list of international conference organizers. What is more, the annual African Union Summit has become a crucial opportunity to augment the country’s tourism sector and generate a tangible income from the sector. The government has been undertaking various measures through prioritizing the sector’s tangible contribution to the national economy. The recently-concluded AU Summit was instrumental in giving impetus for Ethiopia’s tourism and hospitality industry.
The Ethiopian Herald March 10/2023
