Special Report: 215 Most Popular s destinations 3EMEA S 3 ASIA 5 1 15 3 2 25 S 1 USA S 15 3 * PACIFIC WORLD INDEX Analysis based on requests into more than 1 destinations and 6, annual international delegates. The equation is designed to absorb factors like seasonality by incorporating a three-month rolling average and year-on-year comparisons, growth and group size. also scans the destinations monthly, looking at recent changes in country/city image; new flights and accessibility; major events; buzz about new hotels/infrastructure; political, economic and currency movements; and which event types they are seeing requests from. 2
S EMEA EMANUELE PINNA Manager Italy Thanks to its geographic centrality, recent economic and political stability and very good direct flight connections, Italy is becoming an increasingly popular destination for meetings and incentives. The destination is also seeing a great deal of interest from Middle East meeting planners, due to the Alitalia acquisition by Etihad in 214. Emirates flying daily from Dubai to Bologna from November 215, has made Bologna s Marconi Airport the fourth largest in Italy for global connections. From February 216 Verona will accommodate three flights a week from Paris Orly International Airport, operated by Transavia, Air France s low cost company. The Expo consolidates Milan positive image: more art and architecture, sports and a new theme of debate has stared which connects Milan to wine and food. CECILE DUBEAU Manager France We ve seen an increased demand for Paris as a meetings and incentives destination from countries including USA, UK, Germany and Brazil. Factors contributing towards its rise in popularity include the impact of the exchange rate for US clients, affording them greater buying power and the constant demand from the EU zone source markets. Despite economic difficulties in 215, the interest from the Brazilian market remained consistent. Besides Paris, Loire Valley, Champange and Lyon have been popular in 215. We have also seen a growing interest by in "active" activities (biking, buggies ). Tailor-made programs and venues and activities not accessible to the average tourist are essential to clients. United Arab Emirates JESTINE ALFRED Manager The Middle East s business conferences and events industry is now the world s fastest growing. More accessible routes offered by Emirates and Ethiad as well as the openings of a number of new hotels are contributing to its increasing popularity. Abu Dhabi and Dubai are becoming more popular as a stop-over destination for 2-3 night stays for business travelers when travelling onwards using carriers. Other factors contributing to the increased appeal of Abu Dhabi as an incentive and conference destination include their investment in technology. Many of the have spent a great deal of time and resource investing in the latest technology and set-ups to facilitate large-scale events. is also one of the safest places in the world to visit offering an attractive blend to meeting and event planners.
S ASIA BERT CHAMRERNNUSIT Country Manager Thailand Bangkok have been the most popular city for meetings and events followed by Phuket and Chiang Mai. For smaller incentive groups, Koh Samui is becoming a popular. Since the state of emergency and martial law was lifted, we could see that the interest in Thailand has increased and the visitors are feeling more confident and safe traveling to Thailand. Mostly of the visitors comes from the Pharma and IT sector and we have also seen special interest from Asian and North American markets during 215. The drop in Australian Dollars to USD is benefiting Thailand as the Australian market is reconsidering to travel closer to home and destinations with good value for money. Guests are more open to activities that interact with locals and that include the street food tour where brings the guests to visit local food stalls, unique delicacies and taste local bites. SUMADI (Mr.) Meeting & Incentive Mgr. Indonesia Bali and in particular the picturesque cozy town of Ubud and the sandy beaches of Nusa Dua have been the most popular destinations in Indonesia, followed by Lembongan and Nusa Penida island, perfect locations for an incentive trip We have seen an increase of US market thanks in part to the new free visa and the opening of new hotels working to satisfied the American clients deman (Ritz-Carlton, Madapa and also Alila Seminyak). US currency exchange is also strong versus the Indonesian Rupiah offering good value for money for travelers from the US. Outside theme dinner in private venues or villas became popular and experiences allowing interacting with locals are on the rise. Local food and creative setup and deliveries are becoming an important part of each event. GINA LIM Manager Singapore Singapore is constantly reinventing the city with improved facilities to attract tourist and group events. North America remains the key source market. Sports events such as F1 are key to attract incentives. We have seen an increase from Brazil during the Grand Prix dates last year into the country. In a compact destination as Singapore, there are attractions and activities to engage travelers island wide. Singapore is reputed as a safe haven and a secure bet for those looking for a risk free destination. Even when the trend is to celebrate meetings and events in the hotels, we observed a growing interest by unconventional and unique venues that contribute to create a wow effect. It can be an old school, warehouse, garden.
S USA PATTY PHELPS Vice President of Sales -Texas Texas has definitely been one of the top destinations of 215. New hotel venues are attracting new first time corporate visitors, and rates have generally become more favorable due to new and larger hotels opening. Numerous cities in Texas are developing as well; in fact, both Dallas and San Antonio are forming a new reputation of being known as a cultural and performing arts destination with a vibrant night life. JEFF NELKE DMCP Partner South Florida The State of Florida remains one of the top destinations in the country that attracts countless visitors every year. New venues and restaurants provide new creative options for groups. Additionally, Florida regularly brings new attractions and activities, which continue to add enormous value to this already beautiful State. JENNIFER MILLER DMCP Reg. President Las Vegas Las Vegas has been considerably popular this past year. Numerous new venues in Las Vegas are more corporate-friendly, which brought more frequent incentive trips with larger groups. Also, this city is always evolving and that allows repeat visitors to have a different experience every time they visit. We have also seen an increase in large groups, such as pharmaceutical companies, coming for different kinds of events. Finally, because of its variety of restaurants with celebrity chefs on staff, Las Vegas is forming a new reputation of being one of the top destinations for dining experiences as well.
Curious about what are the destinations for meetings, incentives and events in 216? Sign up for our Newsletter and check monthly report. VIEW INDEX Part of Services ASIA: China India Hong Kong Thailand Cambodia Vietnam Malaysia Singapore Indonesia South Korea Sri Lanka The Maldives Philippines Japan EUROPE: Spain Portugal Greece France Monaco England Scotland Italy Croatia Germany MIDDLE EAST: United Arab Emirates (Dubai, Abu Dhabi) Oman SOUTHERN AFRICA REGION: South Africa Namibia Zambia Botswana Mozambique Zimbabwe NORTH AMERICA: United States of America SOUTH AMERICA: Peru