2023-11-15 11:58:44
We always associate travel with a vacation period, disconnection, relaxation and fun with friends or family. However, according to data provided by the International Association of Congresses and Conventions, A quarter of tourists around the world travel for business. A significant figure considering that this represents some 280 million people who travel for work or professional reasons.
This phenomenon is called turismo MICEdue to its acronym in English (Meeting, Incentives, Conferencing and Exhibitions), but it means business tourism and encompasses all organized trips for work reasons: attending work meetings, congresses, conventions, fairs, conferences, exhibitions…
This type of trip is of great importance for businessmen, since they are an important tool within a company’s business strategies, but also for Spanish cities, since it undoubtedly has an impact on their economy and generates greater status at local, national and global levels.
It is for this reason that this practice is constantly booming in more and more sectors, both for the multiple benefits it represents for business activity, and for the facilities that the Government and each city offer to business travelers.
Europe, the ideal territory for MICE business activity
The historical, cultural, and geographical wealth of Europe makes some of the best work destinations available to business travelers. Cities with great economic activity, cosmopolitan, with good infrastructure and where the artistic and leisure offer predominates. In this line, BizAway highlights Spain as one of the favorite countries for business tourists, with Madrid and Barcelona leading the favorite cities internationally.
Although it may be evident given the size, reputation and status of capital in their respective autonomous communities, the truth is that both Madrid and Barcelona obtain this podium due to their ability to bring together all the services necessary to facilitate business activity for travelers from business.
Although both capitals are a strong attraction for business activity, the truth is that other high-caliber Spanish cities are almost led by their infrastructure and offer. As? For its constant commitment to attracting fairs, conventions and business travelers.
Infrastructure, accommodation and transportation are of vital importance for the business traveler, therefore, the ranking of favorite cities based on these parameters changes.
Ranking of cities by hotels:
Madrid Barcelona Valencia Seville Malaga A Coruña Santiago
It is not surprising that the Spanish capital leads this ranking, and it has received six consecutive years the award for best meeting tourism destination in Europe at the World Travel Awardsfrom 2018 until 2023. It houses some of the largest exhibition and congress venues in Spain, such as IFEMA, and therefore, its hotel offer has multiple options in order to accommodate a large number of travelers.
Ranking of cities by flights and trains:
In this ranking, the podium goes to the city of Barcelona, Barcelona. This position is no coincidence, since it accounts for the largest number of arrivals by plane thanks precisely to the infrastructure available at the Barcelona Airport, as well as other smaller ones such as Girona, Lleida, Reus, thus becoming one of the few cities Spanish that has 4 airports. Obviously, this city is followed by Madrid, in addition to Valencia.
As far as trains are concerned, Madrid tops the list, mainly due to its geographical location that makes it an ideal strategic point for traveling around the peninsula and direct connections with other European capitals. Therefore, it accumulates the largest number of train trips nationwide.
Definitely, BizAway foresees that this aspect of MICE tourism will continue to grow, based above all on three fundamental factors: The interest of companies in the internationalization of their activity is growing, cities are increasingly working to become the ideal destination for this type of travelers and Finally, workers demonstrate that they are interested in combining leisure and work.
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