Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1186870
On The Ground 14 NOV-DEC 2019 MEETINGS & CONVENTIONS MCMAG-ASIA.COM Industry Trends Get ready for business travel in 2020 "Super-apps", voice-enabled bookings and 5G roll-out will have a significant impact on business travel in the next year, travel technology company Amadeus predicts in its "Future of Corporate Travel" paper. Despite the growth of technologies that make virtual meetings possible, business travel spend in the region is still predicted to double between 2020 and 2025, with the region forecast to eventually account for half of the world's total spend. "B-leisure" travel - where employees add leisure time and activities onto work trips - has also been rising in Asia, with a survey by Amadeus finding that Asian corporate travellers are twice as likely to book work trips that include weekends than their European counterparts. The paper also raised the need to manage security concerns alongside expectations for a seamless travel experience and steps to ensure that companies meet the evolving needs for employees' health and safety. Destinations Philippines makes bigger play for MICE market The Philippines looks to corner a signicant share of the international MICE market on the back of hosting several international WORDS NAOMI NEOH (TOP LEFT) LLUSTRATION: GETTY IMAGES Emerging technologies like super- apps, voice-recognition technology and 5G network to impact business travel in 2020. CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES meetings and conferences over the years. Undersecretary for Tourism Development Planning Benito C. Bengzon Jr of the Department of Tourism (DOT) announced major MICE events expected to arrive in the country. These include the FIABCI (International Real Estate Federation) World Congress in 2020; International Congress on Sustainable Tourism in Fragile Ecosystems in 2020; Ecotourism Travel Mart for 2020 and 2021; International Conference in Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners Conference in 2021; and Kiwanis International Convention in 2022. Mr Bengzon noted the Philippines has proven expertise, having organised and hosted large-scale events such as the Asean Summit in 2017, APEC Summit in 2015 and the Asian Development Bank Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors in 2012 and 2018. The DOT aims to increase the total number of usable space for exhibitions to over 170,895sqm by 2030 from 71,000sqm in 2017, and targets an annual 3% rise in MICE visitors arrivals. Japan gets creative Campaigns to attract business events visitors are under way in more parts of Japan, with such MICE tours seen as opportunities to lure large groups of people to the country, accompanied by active spending. The Japanese government is putting its support behind creative MICE-related tours as part of eorts to reach its target of increasing annual inbound tourists numbers