There’s no denying Qatar’s MICE ambitions – there are currently 77 new hotels and 42 hotel apartments under construction, bringing 21,107 new rooms into the Qatari hospitality market. 2011 saw the opening of the Qatar National Convention Centre at Education City, featuring a 2,500-seat auditorium, a 500-seat theatre, and a multi-purpose hall for conferences. The sovereign Arab state is currently undergoing an investment increase of $17 billion on tourism infrastructure. Chairman of the Qatar Tourism Authority, Ahmed Abdulla Al Nuaimi, says the long-term goal is to position Qatar as a leading destination for both leisure and business travel. “We are currently putting a lot of effort into encouraging visitors on business trips and stopovers to spend an extra 48 hours in Qatar,” he says. “We will soon be launching a series of offers and packages in conjunction with Qatar Airways, offering special tickets and itineraries.” www.qatartourism.gov.qa
CROATIA Situated in central Europe and boasting five-star congress hotels, a national carrier (Croatia Airlines) and a reputation for quality services, Croatia is becoming better known as a convention and incentive destination. According to the Croatian Convention and Incentive Bureau, the country’s future is bright, following an 18 per cent increase in the total number of business meetings last year and openings including the 240-room Radisson Blu, Split, capable of handling up to 445 delegates for meetings. The Confex Group declared Croatia to be the second best destination for business tourism and congress tourism in 2009, with the country winning the silver medal for best overseas destination. www.croatia.hr
DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA Durban started seriously selling itself to the MICE market seven years ago, when a business tourism unit was set up. Since then it has landed major events, such as the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2011, which have helped the city emerge as a popular business haunt. Business tourism manager at South African Tourism, Donna Abberley, says that the city can handle up to 13,000 delegates and companies, including Volvo and Audi, have recently held incentive and
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conference events there. “South Africa as a whole is becoming more and more attractive to the UK MICE market, but Durban, in particular, will be put on the map for MICE travellers as word about its excellent facilities spreads,” she says. The Hilton Durban features 10 meeting rooms for up to 400 delegates. www.durbanexperience.co.za
CYPRUS A number of factors suggest that Cyprus is set for a MICE boom in the next few years. This year sees the Presidency of the Council of the European Union coming to the country, bringing with it an estimated 400-600 extra meetings and helping promote its wares to the rest of Europe. To coincide with this, a host of new hotels, golf courses and marinas are being planned. GTA partner Alan Wodzynski, who represents destination management companies in Cyprus, says the country is currently being mined for natural gas, which could put it on the energy industry’s map and herald an unprecedented boom in business tourism. Hotels set to gain from the upsurge include the 189-room five-star Almyra Hotel in Paphos. www.gtassociates.co.uk
POLAND Poland was the only European Union nation to show GDP growth in 2009 as most of the world faltered, and continued to grow in 2010/11. The Poland Convention Bureau predicts an increase in MICE travellers in the coming years due to the country’s relatively low prices and a spate of new facilities, including a convention centre due to open in Cracow in 2015. Hosting this year’s UEFA Euro 2012 soccer championship, in tandem with Ukraine, will also boost the country’s MICE visibility. The Poland Convention Bureau’s senior conference specialist, Aneta Ksiazek, says: “We have won several awards in recent years and have enjoyed a lot of MICE activity from the UK. We recently won a major automotive contract through a UK event company for 2012, which is in keeping with the growth we are expecting.” Key MICE hotels include the Le Meridien Bristol in Warsaw, which features 12 meeting rooms accommodating up to 2,500. www.poland-convention.pl
ZARAGOZA, SPAIN Zaragoza has worked hard in recent years to boost its profile in the MICE market. It