MICE tourism may never fully recover from COVID-19 as international business arrivals set to fall by 35.3% in 2020, says GlobalData – Hospitality Net

Meetings, incentives, conferencing and exhibitions (MICE) tourism was one of the first types of tourism to be impacted by the global spread of COVID-19 and it could be one of the last to fully return as international business arrivals are projected to fall by 35.3% in 2020, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Ralph Hollister, Travel & Tourism Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “MICE events are now taking place online, without the need for companies operating in the tourism sector. This is a worrying trend for all industries involved in travel and tourism – the longer restrictions and guidelines last around MICE tourism, while other national economies start to pick up, the more companies, attendees and event organizers may start to become accustomed to hosting and attending MICE events online, whilst appreciating the unseen benefits they bring.”

Companies in all sectors will be looking for ways to reduce costs in the coming years as they reel from the economic impact created by COVID-19. Business travel is a costly expense for all companies, and with the rise of video conferencing software such as Zoom and Google Meet, many will realize that this type of ongoing expense is unnecessary.

Hollister continues: “As well as the potential of MICE trips now being
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