BANGKOK, 13 December 2024: Thailand’s MICE* industry posted a 42% rise in overseas business event travellers in its 2024 fiscal year (October 2023 -September 2024), totalling 1.16 million travellers.
According to the statistics released by the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), the performance closes in on the record high of 1.2 million travellers achieved during the pre-pandemic 2019.
Looking forward to 2025, the country will host large-scale international events, ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 delegates per event.
TCEB president Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya commented: “With the record performance in 2024, TCEB aims to achieve higher at 1.4 million overseas business event travellers in the 2025 fiscal year.”
During the 2024 fiscal year, the top 10 market sources were China, India, Malaysia, Vietnam, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Germany, the US, and Japan. Focusing on the European and UK markets, the top five were Germany, the UK, Russia, France and Italy.
Conventions lead the business events sectors, recording close to a 200% increase in delegates over 2023, followed by incentive travel, exhibitions and meetings.
One major highlight for the conventions sector was the 74th FIFA Congress, held last May in Bangkok. Thailand became the first Southeast Asian nation to host the football governing body’s congress.
ICCA Congress in Bangkok, with 1,100 attendees, was the largest annual gathering of ICCA ever held in the Asia-Pacific.
Events line up in 2025
In 2025, Thailand is again poised to record growth as the country will be hosting various TCEB-supported international events covering many industrial sectors.
Money 20/20 Asia 2025, a fintech event, will take place in Bangkok in April, with an anticipated 5,000 attending delegates representing start-ups, financial bodies and tech enterprises.
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) World Diabetes Congress 2025, due in April in Bangkok, will attract 10,000 attendees. This will be the first time that this world congress has established a foothold in the Southeast Asian region.
The Asia Pacific Life Insurance Congress (APLIC 2025), which will be held in May 2025 in Bangkok, should attract 10,000 delegates, including life insurance agents and professional financial consultants.
THAIFEX-Anuga Asia 2025, a premier trade show dedicated to food products and beverages, innovation and technology, will convene in Bangkok in May. It is one B2B highlight in Thailand’s exhibition calendar and should attract 85,000 participants.
*MICE: Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions.
