Two Vietnam hubs among Top MICE destinations in Asia Pacific

Photo for illustration. (Source: VNA)

The Top 10 Southeast Asian MICE cities recorded two-digit growth on spending of companies. The two big hubs of Vietnam, Hanoi ranked 7^th and Ho Chi Minh placed 9^th on the list, according to Mastercard.

Student travel is a key tourism segment in the region. While Singapore is still the education center; Hanoi, Khanh Hoa and Ho Chi Minh city achieved sharp growth on spending of international students over the past three years.

In 2017, Asia-Pacific countries greeted 49.4 million tourists for business with USD41.4 billion being spent. Shanghai was still the leading MICE destination.

Another key factor for impressive economic development of Southeast Asia in the past decade is the sharp growth in international travel expenditure due to popular tourist sites and less-known places.

“Tourism spending has a great impact on economies, creating jobs and opportunities for local communities and businesses,” said Rupert Naylor, Senior Vice President of Mastercard Advisors in Asia Pacific./.