KEYS TO IMPROVING POSITIONING

1. A hands-on promotion and development of tourism in the destination, supported by policies, authorities and the community.

2. Relations with the entire scientific, professional and business community, both local and national, which also connect them to the world. These contacts help to pinpoint opportunities, as well as to attract and plan meetings and events that in turn enthrall international visitors. Equally important are the relationships of the destination's travel agencies and service providers with the large companies dedicated to business tourism and meetings (Travel Manager Companies).

3. International airlift and adequate domestic transportation infrastructure. The airplane is the means of transportation used by more than 70% of MICE travelers. It is the most profitable segment of passengers and the one that spends the most on complementary services, which is why airlines are continuously developing products and new tools for the management of groups and VIP customers with a view to meet their needs.

4. Hotel and tourism-related infrastructure, as well as the adequate facilitation of access to it, offered through travel agencies both at the destination and outside it. The MICE segment generally prefers the offer of established destinations and emblematic hotels, although in recent years the platforms that sell private homes are on the rise.

5. A specialized infrastructure for the development of MICE activities (congress centers, hotels specialized in conventions and exhibition venues) modern and adequate to the new technical developments in audiovisual and computer science.

6. Preparation of the personnel and staff, along the whole value chain of the MICE segment, in order to provide proper attention to MICE tourists and to offer an excellent service that meets their needs and increases their spending.

7. Proper design and organization. One of the current trends is to plan the event in a comprehensive manner, actively involving all the participants. This allows for the development of a meeting in a sustainable manner and highlights the cultural and unique elements of the destination, as well as of the entities that prepare or bankroll it.

8. Technology for the hyperconnected traveler, for whom the ease of access to the destination's Internet, the meeting or accommodation site, and the handling of new technologies are key elements when deciding where to travel, organize an event or a meeting. Luring participants in the business tourism value chain of the future will require high doses of adaptation in the face of changing scenarios and new user profiles, such as the millennials, who are paying more and more attention to technological issues.