The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) aims to attract small corporate groups under the Phuket sandbox scheme as the Mice (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) industry is projected to slowly return to normalcy by 2025.
TCEB president, Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, said the Phuket model represents an opportunity to welcome corporate groups for meetings and provide incentives at destinations ready to welcome visitors via direct flights.
At present, five airlines have announced direct services to Phuket, including Thai Airways, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, El Al Israel Airlines and Qatar Airways.
He said most of the 500,000 foreigners that the National Economic and Social Development Council has estimated to arrive this year will be part of corporate groups, expatriates and diplomats.
In light of this, the agency will run marketing campaigns using overseas representatives in potential markets.
Meanwhile, TCEB’s Southern office will work closely with local operators in Phuket to organise Mice activities.
Even though the Chinese government is still not allowing outbound trips for its citizens, more representatives will be assigned to Guangzhou.
Chiruit: Provincial opportunities
The agency also plans to host two networking events — TIME 2021, a virtual event from June 22-23 with 42 sellers from the mainland and IT&CM China from June 22-24.
In the first half of the fiscal year 2021 (Oct 2020-March 2021), the number of international Mice events and receipts decreased 90% year-on-year from 476,719 visitors that generated 29.8 billion baht in the previous…