MICE events on schedule

The tourism industry’s leisure sector is being impacted by the travel advisories with a dip in travel plans but delegates attending MICE events are still on schedule except for a few that have been postponed.

The Meetings Incentives Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) industry is not yet impacted by the travel advisories that had come out since the recent political disturbance in the country, Imran Hassan, Head of CDC Events and Travels, told the Business Times on Thursday.

He noted however that should the current deadlock in the political establishment continue it could have a bearing on future MICE events scheduled to take place in the country.

Mr. Hassan explained that the MICE plans for 2019 are currently on a wait and see mode and believed that if the current impasse prolongs until January then there could be an impact on this sector of the industry as well.

The industry believes the impact could be mitigated if the situation is brought under control and stability prevails.

BMICH CEO Sunil Dissanayaka told the Business Times on Thursday that their scheduled conferences were underway and even plans to hold the international wildlife conference next year CITES is also going ahead as planned.

He noted that they were not impacted by the travel advisories and that even international conferences were getting underway and that there were no cancellations.

However, some hoteliers complained that a few conferences that were scheduled to take place this month were postponed due to the prevailing situation in the country.