In destinations like the Costa del Sol, which are renowned for their beautiful weather and the boundless sun, sea and sand experiences that they offer, MICE events have the power to make tourism less dependent on the seasons while generating incredible opportunities. The sector has the key to reducing the seasonality of tourist visits and extending the high period throughout the year. Keep reading to discover how MICE events can help make tourism less reliant on seasonal factors.
More than sun, sea and sand
Making tourism less dependent on the seasons opens tourist destinations’ activities and experiences up throughout the year. Generally speaking, the various coastal destinations in Spain – like the province of Malaga – see an influx of tourists for just a couple of months of the year. This concentration tends to be in the summer period, coinciding with the higher temperatures and the holiday season in Europe.
MICE tourism has the power to reduce the seasonality of the industry, promoting tourist visits in the autumn, winter and spring months. Conference and convention tourism has the advantage of not relying on the weather, unlike sun, sea and sand tourism. As such, business meetings, incentive trips, product presentations and/or services generate opportunities and keep the economy going in destinations throughout the year.
A world of opportunities
MICE tourism opens up a world of opportunities when it comes to making the industry less dependent on the seasons. Not only does it promote hospitality and resorts staying open all year round, it also enriches business opportunities. In Spain, according to figures from the Spain Convention Bureau, the year 2022 closed “with the meeting industry having an economic impact worth 10,435 million euros, 35% up on forecasts”. As concluded by the December 2022 report entitled ‘Análisis de la demanda en la industria de reuniones nacional e internacional post pandemia’ (Analysis of the demand in the national and international meeting industry post-pandemic).
The average MICE tourism spend is also higher than conventional tourists, given that it is paid for by the company, which generally has a higher spending power. MICE tourism is by all accounts an economic incentive and has the ability to boost consumption in both urban and rural settings. Indeed, an increasing number of business meetings, incentive trips and team building activities are taking place in the inland. In the Costa del Sol, which is renowned for its many whitewashed villages overlooking the sea and set in the mountains, this is a feasible reality.
New ideas to reduce the seasonality of tourism
Cultural activities
Closely linked in MICE tourism, cultural tourism is another way to make the industry less dependent on the seasons while increasing collaboration between public and private organisations and offering interesting activities that will give urban and rural destinations a boost. MICE tourism can thus be associated with cultural customs, traditions and expressions through unique experiences that can be held all year round. An example of this are the team building activities that take place in the wineries and olive mills throughout the Costa del Sol and the incentive trips at Reservatauro.
Gastronomic experiences
Another way for MICE tourism to offer activities and experiences throughout the year is to turn to the worlds of wine and gastronomy. An increasing number of business tourists are keen to take advantage of their corporate or incentive trip to discover the destination’s regional gastronomy. This sector has a huge potential that can be unlocked in the spring, summer, autumn and winter. How do you fancy, for instance, an incentive trip held at a food fair selling winter delights?
MICE leisure: a vision based on experiences
MICE tourism makes destinations less dependent on the seasons by honing in on experiences in which the weather and the season are the least important factor. MICE experiences can be based on different opportunities:
- Setting and location: whether urban or rural, MICE events are all about what makes them unique, rather than the period of the year in which they take place.
- Sensations and connection to the destination: MICE events are becoming increasingly entwined with the local culture. This opens the door to the off-season, enabling winter events, such as Carnaval de Málaga, for instance, to be enjoyed by tourists.
Now you know about making tourism less dependent on the seasons and why MICE tourism is an important driver of this push in the Costa del Sol, it’s time to try out some of our ideas for your next business event. Can we tempt you to come and explore the opportunities of the Costa del Sol?
