TAPPING MICE MARKET

Malaysia need to create more meeting, incentive, convention and exhibition (MICE) events as they are very lucrative..

Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen stressed this yesterday, adding that it would help strengthen the country’s business tourism profile and brand globally.

“We need to intelligently woo international business events to Malaysian shores. The business tourism industry is highly competitive.

“Statistics show that the estimated spending for each international business tourism visitor is RM7,418 which is three times the spending of an average leisure visitor.

”It also shows that up to 60% of these delegates eventually return as regular tourists,” said Dr Ng.

She said to support the growth of this high-yield, high returns segment, the Government had pledged RM50mil worth of funding next year and a further RM50mil for 2012, as part of the 10th Malaysia Plan.

“The allocation through the Malaysian Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) is to secure international business events, making it the lead agency to develop our country’s business tourism segment,” she said at the launch of MyCEB at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre here yesterday.

Also present was MyCEB’s CEO Zulkefli Sharif, who said the funding would provide a significant boost to Malaysia’s business tourism industry.

MyCEB, a non-profit organisation was established last year by the Tourism Ministry to assist the MICE market.