Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

Dubai 'top Mice destination in MEA'

Cvent, a market-leading meetings, events, and hospitality technology provider, today released its list of the Top 10 Meeting Destinations for meetings and events in the Middle East and Africa.

Dubai retained its number one ranking, further solidifying its position as one of the world's leading Mice destinations. The Dubai World Trade Centre hosted nearly 400 major Mice and business events last year welcoming nearly 3.4 million delegates - a new record in its history.

Two other UAE cities were also featured in the list – Abu Dhabi (up two spots to second) and Ras Al Khaimah (new addition to the list). As the country continues to flourish as a global business hub, the UAE is also fast establishing itself as home to some of the most prestigious events globally, including the upcoming World Expo 2020 in Dubai which will further cement its position as a top Mice destination. Beirut, Lebanon also made its list debut at number seven.  

The lists were compiled based on meeting and event booking activity through Cvent’s venue sourcing sites, including the Cvent Supplier Network, through which more than $16 billion in business was sourced in 2018.

The top 10 cities in the Middle East and Africa for 2019 are:
 
1. Dubai, UAE
2. Abu Dhabi, UAE
3. Cape Town, South Africa
4. Johannesburg, South Africa
5. Marrakesh, Morocco
6. Cairo, Egypt
7. Beirut, Lebanon
8. Doha, Qatar
9. Nairobi, Kenya
10. Ras Al Khaimah, UAE

Steen Jakobsen, assistant vice president at Dubai Business Events & City Operations, said: “For Dubai to be once again named as Top Meetings Destination in the MEA region is a testament to the city’s visionary leadership, as well as the efforts of all our partners and stakeholders. Business events play a critical role not only in driving visitation and making a direct economic impact but also contributing to the development of key sectors and encouraging knowledge exchange.”

“As we look to build on our momentum and underline Dubai’s position as a business events destination of choice, we will continue to communicate to meetings planners the easy accessibility, diversity in hotel choices, and wide range of venues in the city, as well as compelling choices when it comes to activities, attractions and dining” Jakobsen said.

“Business events add $1.5 trillion to the global GDP and because of this positive economic impact, the cities featured in this year’s Top Meeting Destinations lists have put significant time and resources into attracting more Mice business to their locales,” said Chris McAndrews, vice president of marketing for Cvent Hospitality Cloud.

“Leading destinations are working closely with hotels and venues in their area to offer and promote unique experiences, helping event organisers deliver more memorable and impactful events,” he said. - TradeArabia News Service