Thanks to its favorable climate, vibrant urban lifestyle and hospitality, Xiamen, Fujian province has become a popular MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and events) destination.
The coastal city plays host to an exhibition every two days and more than 20 business meetings per day. As a result, MICE tourism has become a new driving force of its economic development, Xinhua News Agency reports.
Data shows that MICE tourism contributed to one third of the city's total tourism revenues last year.
In the first half of 2017, Xiamen held 93 exhibitions and 2,850 business meetings, which gathered more than 850,000 people and generated 18.6 billion yuan ($2.8 billion) in revenue, according to statistics released by the municipal administration of business conferences and exhibitions.
In recent years, the municipal government has proposed building Xiamen into a model MICE city in China and a world-famous MICE city. Backed by government support, MICE tourism has become an important bridge between production and consumption, and industry and market.
MICE events are bringing large amounts of tourists, capital and information into the city, facilitating the integration of industrial resources and promoting trade, investment and industrial development. Many major MICE events, such as the China International Fair for Investment and Trade, Xiamen Stone Fair and World Ocean Week, have become a key industrial cooperation platform in Xiamen.
The upcoming 9th BRICS Summit from Sept 3 to 5 will offer another chance for Xiamen to boost the city's profile, and improve its opening-up process.
Wang Qiongwen, head of the municipal administration of business conferences and exhibitions, said the city will take advantage of the summit to raise its MICE tourism industry to a higher level.
China has launched a new pilot program to allow eligible enterprises greater access to overseas financing in support of green and low-carbon transformation projects, the country's foreign exchange regulator said on Aug 21.
To further streamline the experience, China is expanding tax refund stores, broadening the range of refundable goods, and refining refund procedures, ensuring an efficient and seamless shopping experience for global visitors.
