The 1,139 MICE events that were staged in Macao last year generated a non-gaming revenue of 6.2 billion patacas, a threefold increase year-on-year, the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute said yesterday.
According to the department, which is also known by its Portuguese acronym IPIM, the spending of conference delegates has seen an upward trend in recent years, with the average per capita consumption growing from 3,781 patacas in 2019 to 4,823 patacas in 2023.
Regular leisure tourists spent an average of 2,525 patacas each last year, meaning that the spending of MICE travellers can be as much as 90 percent higher.
[See more: MICE events are off to a strong start in 2024]
This year, the SAR has set an ambitious target of hosting 1,500 MICE events or roughly 50 percent more than the previous year’s total.
The city has already built up momentum in the first quarter of 2024, with key events such as the inaugural Greater Bay Area International Sports Business Summit in late February, and the 2024 Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum and Exhibition in March.
Major upcoming conventions and exhibitions include the UNU Macau AI Conference 2024 and the 12th Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo.
