Singapore joins Paris and Vienna as one of the world’s top three cities for meetings, according to the latest rankings from the Union of International Associations (UIA).
This will boost its position as a leading forum for international exchange and a key destination for companies looking to stage major corporate events.
The ranking is based on statistics prepared by the group in its recently released International Meetings Statistics report for 2006.
“Singapore is a top MICE destination of choice that offers world-class venues capable of accommodating all types of events for companies from the Middle East, and is an ideal location for travellers from the region to exchange ideas in an environment that is conducive to both business and leisure,“ said Ke-Wei Peh, area director for the Middle East and Africa, Singapore Tourism Board.
Companies from across the Middle East region are increasingly looking to host their corporate events in Singapore, and the city-state offers some of the most integrated and advanced conference and meeting facilities in the world.
The ranking further validates the strong performance of Singapore’s MICE industry last year, which accounted for 28 per cent or three million of total visitor arrivals to Singapore, and 35 per cent or S$4 billion ($2.7 billion) of total tourism receipts.
Last year, the country hosted 298 meetings, representing a significant 62 per cent annual growth. Among these were both the 2006 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank held in September.
As part of the efforts to spur the growth of the sector, the Singapore Exhibition and Convention Bureau (SECB), the MICE arm of the Singapore Tourism Board, has launched a comprehensive incentive scheme that enables the local MICE industry to competitively bid for and attract Middle Eastern companies to assist in sustaining a robust business events pipeline.