Asia’s top ten cities for meetings & events

CWT M&E, CWT’s MICE division, has unveiled its top ten of the best locations for holding meetings and events in the Asia Pacific, ahead of the publication of WT’s 2020 Meetings & Events Future Trends report next week.

In a familiar looking list, Shangahi holds on to number one, with Beijing swapping places with Singapore to pinch number two, with many of the MICE metropoleis unmoved from last years round up.

Top 10 cities for MICE in APAC (versus 2019):

1. Shanghai, China (1)
2. Beijing, China (3)
3. Singapore (2)
4. Bangkok, Thailand (4)
5. Sydney, Australia (5)
6. Tokyo, Japan (6)
7. Hong Kong, China (7)
8. Mumbai, India (9)
9. Melbourne, Australia (8)
10. Chengdu, China (10)

As in North America, the increasingly acrimonious trade war between the world’s two largest economies is threatening to derail this growth, and is stoking fears of potentially triggering a recession.

“It is hard to underestimate the impact of the US-China trade tit-for-tat,” said Sam Lay, senior director of Asia Pacific at CWT Meetings & Events. “Companies across the region, including those in the meetings and events industry, are wary of the deteriorating situation and its negative effect on business.”

Closer to home, the three-month old protests rocking the streets of Hong Kong are also being closely watched by the business community. A number of countries have issued safety advisories urging travelers to exercise caution, and some businesses are taking a wait-and-see approach with their meetings and events scheduled in the near to mid-term. However, sentiment remains positive for Hong Kong as a key international business destination in 2020.

The region itself continues to be a top draw for incentive travel, as attendees look for unique, life-changing experiences in the varied and distinct cultures of Asia Pacific. Demand is going beyond the well-known regional hubs and into second and third-tier cities.

Among the region’s destinations on the rise are Hanoi in Vietnam, Dalian and Macau in China, Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, and Perth, Australia. These destinations typically offer better values than the top-tier cities, along with an increasing number of competitive hotels and venues that can host meetings and events of varying sizes.