MICE Tourism Industry in Sri Lanka and its Development

Abstract

After eradicating terrorism, the country's growing tourism industry has presented a huge opportunity for Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE), which attract the high-end business travelers. As Sri Lanka is not new to MICE tourism, the country has huge potential to attract more numbers in the future. This segment of tourism is important to increase the overall number of tourist arrivals. MICE tourism has several components, and the country gets sufficient numbers for small meetings as well as incentive categories. However, we need to work in the area of international conferences to attract more numbers. The main objective of this research is to find out the possibilities of development of MICE tourism industry in Sri Lanka. Primary data were gathered by interviews while the secondary data were gathered by publications and internet websites. The Sri Lanka Exhibition and Convention Centre (SLECC) and BMICH are the main venues for exhibitions and conventions. The need for a spacious complex has risen due to the space crunch at the key venues. However, the major renovation which is currently taking place at BMICH will increase the capacity and strength of this brand of tourism. The infrastructure capacity and facilities should be boosted to derive more benefits from this sector. The country needs more large scale conference facilities, as the tourism industry continues to grow. Necessary lands and locations should be made available for the MICE sector to contribute to the industrial growth.