The online launching of the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) Directory by the Jordan Inbound Tourism Association seeks to boost business tourism…
The online launching of the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) Directory by the Jordan Inbound Tourism Association seeks to boost business tourism to Jordan.
The launch of the website promises to link local tourism stakeholders with their international counterparts to generate business leads and help international business jet-setters to come to the Kingdom to hold their meetings and other venues as a quality tourism destination.
JITOA Executive Director Ahmed El Bashiti, whose Association is responsible for creating, developing and maintaining the website, says this directory is the first in the Arab region, and even in the world where only a few directories of this kind exist. The MICE market in the Middle East is a growing niche market, and through the directory, we hope to position Jordan as a business destination through its quality hotels and business centers and top notch communication systems, adds Bashiti.
The Jordan MICE Directory has been built from scratch. Quite simply it is a posting tool, targeting all local tourism stakeholders, allowing tour operators and hoteliers to give as much information as possible about the MICE services they offer to international businessmen and multi-national companies to hold their events in Jordan. Today, MICE business has become fierce globally with many countries, including those in the region, offering to hold events at competitive prices. But for Jordan, the Directory is much more than a marketing tool.
The objective of the MICE Directory is to become a prime source and an educational tool to provide clear, up-to-date information about where to go and who to contact about the staging of MICE activities all over the country including in Amman, Dead Sea, Petra and Aqaba. In a user-friendly website, and easy navigational tools together with an uplifting formats it promises to provide customers all what is needed to stage business events in the country through special customized searching.
The additional educational added value lies in its stories and feature articles about many historical and touristic places in Jordan which the businessman or company executive might well like to attend after a grueling conference or a meeting. Indeed, the relatively short distances between one site to another means business visitors can well take time off in between their business meetings, and indeed get back to them just as refreshed.
Another valuable tool is the calendar of events, which is very important to know what major events are going on or happening in Jordan, the Middle East and in the world. The advance search tool will allow the user to find the exact activity or event he/she is looking for.
Also the ability to add your event is a great tool for all users to share with others what they are doing, and this is something we need in Jordan, it will help to find the best timing to hold the event, see what is similar locally, regionally or internationally. This will give more value to the event.
And so the new MICE directory will definitely generate inbound business tourism. This is simply by letting people know what Jordan can offer, and when you have a full product, which is found in the directory, then it is easier to sell, Bashiti says. Positioning Jordan as a peaceful, stable destination on the website will also help in generating such business, he adds.
In the next few weeks Mr. Bashiti and his JITOA team will be busy publicizing the online directory to reach as many people as possible including through emails and email shots, in ads in the newspapers and by words of mouth and through such organizations as the Jordan Tourism Board and its international connections.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
