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Thai exhibition operators are upbeat about 2021, expecting convention travellers to start visiting the country in the second quarter.
Operators in the exhibition business remain bullish as they believe Covid19 vaccines will help bring back international Mice (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) travellers in time for the industry’s high season in March.
Talun Theng, president of the Thai Exhibition Association (TEA), said Mice travellers tend to have a high level of purchasing power and could access vaccines quickly. They would likely be able to visit the country by the second quarter for face-to-face meetings, a cornerstone of doing business, with leisure tourists set to follow in the third quarter.
If the country is able to manage the latest wave of infections next month and prepare measures to permit vaccinated visitors to visit the country, Mice travellers are expected to return by March at the earliest, said Mr Talun.
Normally, the high season for exhibitions runs from March to November, a period during which exhibition venues see their occupancy rates soar to more than 70% compared to over 50% during the low season.
Mice-related organisations, both in the public and private sectors, have to actively prepare for the guidelines to welcome foreign Mice travellers. Guidelines would then have to be proposed to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration for its consideration for approval.
The organizations involved in this process include the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), the Thailand Incentive and Convention Association, the Business of Creative and Event Management Association, as well as the TEA.
Mr Talun said the exhibition industry last year suffered from a shortfall of international visitors, even though operators shifted to hybrid events — a mix of online and offline settings — to attract foreign guests and participants. Meanwhile, only 20% of scheduled domestic exhibitions were held last year.
“Last year, there was no hope as there were no potential vaccines,” according to Mr Talun. “The greatest challenge might be solved this year thanks to the vaccine programs which are rolling out.”
He said prior to the recurrence of the pandemic, the outlook for exhibitions was expected to improve. But the recent increase in cases prompted organisers to postpone their events in response to health concerns among visitors.
Most of the small and mediumsized companies in the industry may have to cut jobs to minimize their losses from the first two months unless there are some relief measures to protect employment by the end of this month.
Thailand’s Mice market saw a 60% drop both in value and volume during fiscal year 2020 which ran from Oct 1, 2019 to Sept 30, 2020, according to the TCEB.
International Mice traveller numbers closed at 500,090, contributing 29.8 billion baht, of which 88,711 were derived from exhibitions, generating a total of 6.46 billion baht.
Meanwhile, the number of local Mice travellers reached almost 10 million, generating revenue of 31.5 billion baht.
Exhibitions were the largest Mice event category in the domestic market. They attracted 7.9 million visitors, contributing 26.5 billion baht.