For the fourth year running, the MICE department of communications agency Interface Tourism has studied trends in business tourism on the French market by surveying the intentions of some fifty event organisers in France and abroad. This survey openshe positive outlook for the sector, with just over a third of respondents expecting to return in 2023 to at least 90% of their pre-pandemic business volume, and 18.2% even hoping to exceed it. Generally speaking, almost all organisers are at least convinced that they will return to at least 50% of the level reached in 2019, mainly through seminars and incentive trips (91%), but also corporate evenings and conventions (51%).
One of the key trends emerging is that virtual meetings are no longer the order of the day. the face-to-face format is in great demand by 97% of respondents, compared with 90.8% last year. L With 21.2%, hybrid formats are in decline, whereas this model exceeded 40% last year. Virtual 100% events are expected to account for just 9.1% of formats in 2023, compared with 23.1% forecast in the January 2022 survey. Moreover, more than half of the respondents said that they had not organised any virtual or hybrid events last year.
Another significant development is the reopening of borders and the end of red tape such as PCR tests and vaccination certificates: desires from elsewhere. Not that agencies specialising in incentive travel have confined themselves to France. Already last year, a large majority were planning to organise their events abroad, a proportion that will rise by 3 pts in 2023, to 87.9%. But above all, they are looking further afield.
After two years of being confined to short-haul destinations, the " revenge tourism "This is also true of the MICE segment. Event organisers' requests and searches for information are moving in this direction. In one year, they have fallen from 95.4% to 93.9% for Europe and from 84.6% to just 72.7% for France. Conversely, MICE buyers are enquiring more about Asia and the Pacific Ocean (57.6% compared with 36.9% in 2022), South America (57.6% compared with 35.4%), North America (54.5% compared with 41.5%) and Africa (48% compared with 30.8%). Medium-haul destinations such as North Africa and the Middle East are being considered (75.8%), South America (66.7%), Asia (63.6%) and Africa (54.5%) are of particular interest in the long-haul segment, even more so than North America (48.5%) and the Indian Ocean (39.4%).
Paradoxically, as a counterpoint to these desires for the great outdoors, Interface Tourism also notes the growing importance of aspects relating to sustainable development. According to 78.8% of respondents, companies have placed greater emphasis on CSR in the organisation of events and business trips for the year 2023. However, environmental impact is a barrier to foreign travel for only 45.5% of buyers. In its study, Interface Tourisme notes that " customers prefer to limit their carbon footprint at the destination and focus on responsible activities and establishments, so they can continue to travel" . Hoteliers, airlines and incoming agencies will no doubt be delighted.
