The Xiamen International MICE Cooperation Forum kicks off in the coastal city of Xiamen, East China's Fujian province, on April 15. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Xiamen International MICE Cooperation Forum kicked off in the coastal city of Xiamen, East China's Fujian province, on April 15, which indicated that the city's meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions (MICE) industry is witnessing a fast recovery after a three-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Xiamen International MICE Cooperation Forum, an important part of the 2023 Xiamen International MICE Week, gathered well-known domestic and foreign exhibition institutions, as well as leading enterprise representatives to explore cooperation and development prospects for the international MICE industry.

With the optimization and adjustment of China's epidemic prevention and control policies at the end of last year, China's MICE industry has ushered in a new opportunity for comprehensive recovery. In the past three years, Xiamen had seized opportunities and actively promoted the holding of large-scale exhibitions as scheduled. At the forum, participants shared their views on the healthy development of the MICE industry in Xiamen.

Chong Quan, president of the China Society for World Trade Organization Studies, said that Xiamen should go out to explore the international MICE market, especially in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) market, adding that the city has unique advantages in promoting its MICE sector in the area. The MICE industry from across the Taiwan Strait should also deepen cooperation in the future.

This year is crucial for the full recovery of the MICE industry. A number of newly-built exhibition venues are expected to be put into operation in the second quarter of the year in Xiamen, which will help the city establish a cluster area for the MICE industry, as well as further improve the city’s capacity in hosting exhibitions and fairs.

The 2023 Xiamen International MICE Week is held in the coastal city of Xiamen, East China's Fujian province, from April 14 to 17. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The MICE industry witnesses a fast recovery after a three-year hiatus. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]