Finding ways to "give wings" to Hanoi MICE tourism to fly high

MICE tourism (tourism combining conferences, seminars, events, etc.) is considered a product that generates large revenue. However, for this type of tourism to truly develop its potential to attract high-end customers, Hanoi needs to have policies to call for investment and support businesses to build, innovate and upgrade tours.

Hanoi has rich potential for MICE tourism

At the Hanoi MICE Tourism Forum recently organized by the Hanoi Department of Tourism, tourism experts shared the same assessment that Hanoi is a land of thousands of years of civilization with many cultural heritages, so it has great potential for developing cultural tourism, craft villages, resorts, experiences, etc.

At the same time, as the central city of the North, traffic connecting Hanoi to provinces and cities across the country is relatively convenient. Currently, Hanoi owns many modern traffic works to serve the travel needs of tourists such as Nhat Tan Bridge, Vo Nguyen Giap Avenue, Terminal T2 of Noi Bai International Airport, Thang Long Avenue, Thanh Tri Bridge, Vinh Tuy Bridge... The Cat Linh - Ha Dong and Nhon - Hanoi Railway lines have been put into operation, changing the urban appearance and creating a highlight for tourism.

International tourism businesses participate in MICE tourism organized by the MICE Tourism Club in Hanoi. Photo: Hoai Nam

According to the Hanoi Department of Tourism, there are currently 3,761 accommodation establishments with more than 71,000 rooms in the city. Of these, there are 85 hotels and apartment complexes with a rating of 1-5 stars with a total of 11,965 rooms. In addition, Hanoi also has 31 shopping establishments, 23 restaurants, 8 entertainment areas, and 1 sports area. Many hotels are large-scale, branded, and of international standard such as: JW Marriott Hotel, Lotte Center Hanoi, Grand Plaza Hanoi, InterContinental Hanoi Westlake, etc.

Hanoi Daewoo Hotel Managing Director Erwin R. Popov informed that Hanoi tourism owns many high-class accommodation facilities and quality services, which is a condition to welcome large groups of guests to organize MICE. "Currently, in the business structure of Hanoi Daewoo Hotel, MICE tourism is always considered important because this type of tourism contributes 50% of the hotel's revenue" - Mr. Erwin R. Popov gave an example.

According to Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association Vu The Binh, MICE tourism serves high-end customers, usually businessmen and merchants, bringing in 4 to 6 times more revenue than other types of customers. Hanoi, as the political, cultural and economic center of the country, has many famous attractions, relics, scenic spots, and high-end resorts. Therefore, Hanoi can develop MICE tourism products to become the strength of the capital's tourism.

Hanoi tourism welcomes Iranian tourists to Vietnam under MICE tourism. Photo: Hoai Nam

“Hanoi has hosted and welcomed many large international delegations for long-term stays. Many major international conferences and events have taken place in Hanoi such as the APEC Summit, the US-North Korea Summit, the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31)... The fact that Hanoi is continuously chosen as the venue for large-scale international conferences shows that Hanoi can develop MICE tourism products, becoming a strength of the capital's tourism," Mr. Vu The Binh emphasized.

Remove bottlenecks

Although it is recognized that there is great potential for developing MICE tourism, this type of tourism has not yet become a key product of Hanoi. The reason is that there are still many "bottlenecks" in the process of investing in and exploiting tours that need to be resolved.

Reflecting on the difficulties in organizing MICE tours, Director of AZA Tourism Company Nguyen Tien Dat said that although Hanoi has 5-star hotels and resorts in the suburbs, the capacity is still quite modest. “Although Hanoi accounts for 14.6% of high-star hotels compared to the whole country, there are times when it is impossible to find a 5-star hotel to organize an event, especially at the end of the year. The reason is that all 4-5 star hotel halls have been used for weddings. Or if you organize an event with 500 people or more, it is almost impossible to find a location,” Mr. Nguyen Tien Dat gave an example.

Southeast Asian tourism businesses come to Vietnam to connect and exchange customers in the form of MICE tourism organized by the Vietnam MICE Tourism Club. Photo: Hoai Nam

Similarly, Vice President of the Vietnam Tourism Association Phung Quang Thang said that Hanoi is lacking places to organize large-scale events with consistent services. “Although the VITM Hanoi International Tourism Fair takes place every year, it is almost always held at the Vietnam-Soviet Friendship Cultural Palace due to difficulties in choosing a location. Although Vietnam has been successful in organizing many major international events, such as APEC, ASEM, SEA Games, etc., Vietnam's MICE tourism footprint has not really played its role," said Mr. Phung Quang Thang.

Sharing the same view, Director of Travelogy Vietnam Tourism Company Vu Van Tuyen said that although Hanoi owns many famous landscapes and historical relics, Hanoi tourism products are still monotonous and lack experiential activities, so it has not been possible to build MICE tourism packages typical of the capital.

To remove the "bottlenecks" for MICE tourism in Hanoi, Director of the Institute for Tourism Development Research Nguyen Anh Tuan said that in the coming time, Hanoi needs to have policies to promote the strong development of MICE tourism. Specifically, Hanoi needs to have a master plan and make appropriate investments for this type of tourism, linking MICE tourism with the cultural values of the capital, thereby creating unique products. To do this, Hanoi needs to call for investment in large-scale hotel systems so that visitors can both organize events and experience resort and entertainment services.

Chairman of the Hanoi UNESCO Travel Club Truong Quoc Hung suggested that the Hanoi Department of Tourism should support businesses in surveying locations that can host MICE in the capital. Thereby, helping businesses systematically build MICE tourism products typical of Hanoi, thereby attracting visitors to the capital.

On the other hand, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Thang Long Investment Group Joint Stock Company Nguyen Phuc Long frankly shared that although Hanoi has beautiful culture and eco-tourism locations, it is lacking large-scale projects operating under the MICE tourism model. "In the coming time, Hanoi needs to have a policy to call for businesses to invest in large-scale tourist areas associated with the culture and nature of the communes in the suburbs of Hanoi. Tuan Chau Hanoi Eco-urban Tourism Area is a model for investors to refer to" - Mr. Nguyen Phuc Long gave an example.

Giving advice to attract MICE tourists to Hanoi, Chairman of the Vietnam MICE Tourism Club Nguyen Anh Duc said that instead of just organizing seminars and conferences, MICE tourism businesses should add value to this type of tourism. “For example, after meetings and events, the organizers can design for guests to experience cultural products and explore the cuisine of the capital…” - Mr. Nguyen Anh Duc suggested.

According to Urban Economic Newspaper

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/tim-cach-chap-canh-cho-du-lich-mice-ha-noi-bay-cao-20250724103854756.htm