‘MICE industry has bounced back’

South Africa’s MICE industry has bounced back from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Gary Koetser, CEO of Century City Conference Centre and Hotels in Cape Town.

In an interview with Tourism Update, Koetser said the MICE industry “took a hell of a knock during COVID”, and that there was much talk at the time that conferencing would never be the same again.

However, in retrospect, there were many positives for MICE that came out of COVID, Koetser believes.

“The positive of our staff appreciating their jobs now more than ever, and appreciating guests when they walk through the door, not seeing them as a chore. Another positive was that everybody realised this need for in-person meetings and…