Colombia Leads the Way in MICE Tourism Recovery
Despite the crisis generated by the pandemic, the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) sector in Colombia has been reactivating with different tools, including creating the Red de Bureau Convention & Visitors Bureau, which has contributed to the industry’s recovery.
According to the latest Destination Performance Index (DPI) report based on data from Laura María González Naranjo, president of the La Red, Colombia and Mexico share the first position in several hybrid events, followed by Argentina and Brazil.
La Red has focused on attracting new events, where in the first half of the year, it reached 94 to be held in the coming years, representing an economic flow of more than USD $10 million.
The president pointed out Colombia’s potential at the Latin American level in this segment, the preferences, and the standards to be successful. She said that the leading countries of origin of events and meetings for Colombia are the United States, Mexico, Ecuador and Spain.
MICE Destinations
Colombia is often chosen because of its diversity of MICE destinations, which have the necessary infrastructure, state-of-the-art technology, and competitive prices. This makes the destination attractive for holding events in addition to the MICE platform, which comprises entrepreneurs prepared and competitive to attend any event.
Quick adaptation is the preference or standard to succeed in this segment. The pandemic of covid-19 generated a crisis in the MICE sector and has stimulated its reinvention. Among other changes, the industry had to adapt to the “new normal,” increasing the use of emerging or alternative technologies in face-to-face events, giving rise to face-to-face and digital events coexisting at the same level of relevance, generating new events in hybrid format, and thus having greater scope and flexibility when celebrating them.
According to a new measurement of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), Colombia ranked first in the region as the country that already managed to hold events such as congresses and conferences scheduled before the pandemic.
Within DPI, Colombia stands out for being the best country in South America in the category of unaffected events: previously planned and held without interruption after the pandemic, ranking 20th globally, along with Norway and Croatia.
Bogota Ranked Third in Latin America
In the Latin American ranking, Colombia is the third best-performing country in all measurement indicators, surpassed only by Mexico and Brazil. Colombia and Mexico share the first position for the number of hybrid events, followed by Argentina and Brazil.
In terms of city performance, Bogota ranked third in Latin America, surpassed only by Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. In addition, the Colombian capital and Cartagena make the top 10 in the region in the overall results of the measurement.
Attracting new events has been one of the main focuses of the Network’s management. As part of this work, during the first half of the year, 94 events were organized and will be held in the coming years.
Positive Figures
Regarding the increase in events, the bureau has shared positive figures. In the case of Barranquilla and Atlántico, during the first semester, 18 corporate events were held; in Bucaramanga, during 2022, 20 events were held. The Medellin Bureau confirms that the number of events in the first six months of the year will triple compared to the first half of 2021.
From Manizales, a representative number of events were reported, including the European Trade Tour in Colombia, the IX National Meeting of Community Tourism, and the Colombia Nature Travel Mart. About Santa Marta, there has been an increase in romantic events such as weddings, and marriage proposals, among others. Similarly, in Quindío, as part of its strategy to promote and position itself in Romance Tourism, it was able to host the Forever Wedding Summit 2022 International Convention in October, where it expects to receive around 300 entrepreneurs from this productive chain.
The Bogota and Pereira bureaus confirm that during the year’s second half, the most significant number of events captured from the Network will be held. Ibagué, for its part, reports a growing interest in the organization of sports, cultural and institutional events this year.
These positive numbers show optimistic projections for events and meetings for the remainder of 2022. The National Network of Bureau estimates the realization of 270 events through December 31, 2022.