South China's Hainan province holds the 2018 Hainan International Tourism Island Carnival on Nov 24, 2018. About 3,000 people attend the event. [Photo provided to China Daily]
Hainan province has named the MICE industry as one of its 12 most important industries for structural optimization and boosting economic growth in its 13th Five-Year Plan.
"MICE" refers to meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions. The industry is growing fast and becoming a strong driver for local tourism development, as more firms choose the tropical island as a location for events due to its governmental support, high-profile international summits and natural charm.
Around 2,000 convention and exhibition activities were held in Hainan in 2018. Events mainly took place in Haikou, the provincial capital located at the northern tip of the island, Sanya, an international coastal resort city at the southern tip of the island, and Boao in Qionghai, the permanent site of the Boao Forum for Asia, according to the Department of Commerce of Hainan province.
A total of 9,033 MICE activities were held in Haikou last year, up 17 percent year-on-year, with annual revenue seeing an 18 percent increase, hitting 12.2 billion yuan ($1.78 billion). As of October 2018, there were 12,960 registered exhibition companies in Haikou, according to statistics from the Haikou Convention and Exhibition Bureau.
