MICE ON THE MOVE
MICE tourism is a perfect way of combining business with pleasure. MICE tourism presents unique opportunities for business development, be it an informal conversation with old partners and meetings with prospective investors, customers, and suppliers, information exchange or introduction to new technologies. The Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events( MICE) industry is extensively and rapidly growing and is largely associated with travel for a business purpose.
Rwanda is shaping up as one of East Africa’ s premier business tourism destinations, following efforts by the government and its partners to help strengthen and grow the private sector in the MICE market.
According to Rwanda Development Board( RDB), in 2017, Rwanda hosted 169 international meetings which brought tens of thousands of customers to its hotels, restaurants and national airline and $ 40 mn was injected into the economy.
The RDB introduced the Rwanda MICE Strategy 2014 in a move that was intended to reinforce the tourism industry. From that time to date, the country has hosted thousands of regional and international guests, many among them going ahead to visit several tourism destinations across the country— consequently leaving behind a significant share of their finances into the national GDP.
While leisure tourism remains a vital part of the national tourism strategy, business tourists have been shown to spend up to three times more than leisure visitors, RDB says.
Besides conference tourism, the reintroduction of big five game and crested cranes in Akagera National Park is an achievement. In May 2017, RDB reintroduced 10 Eastern rhinos from South Africa after 10 years of non-existence shortly after the lions. The re-introduction of lions and rhinos in Akagera National Park has made Rwanda a home for the Big Five game,
32 • RWANDA • 2018