The official data released by the Macao SAR Government Statistics and Census Service shows the effect of restrictions on travel around the world as a countermeasure to the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) held in Macao fell to 362 in 2020, 1,174 events less than in 2019. A total of 147 events were held in the fourth quarter of 2020, showing a significant increase over the previous quarter.
There were 914,000 people that took part in Macao’s MICE events across the full-year 2020, a decrease of 54.6% compared to 2019. In the fourth quarter alone, 515,000 people took part in MICE events in the city, down 30.6% year-on-year, but an increase of 73.3% from the third quarter last year.
An aggregate of 326 meetings and conferences were held in the city in the 12 months to 31 December, 1,133 events less in year-on-year terms.
The number of exhibitions eased by 24 events to 34, and the number of incentives fell by 17 events to 2. Meetings and conference participants for 2020 reached about 39,000 people, an 86.7% decrease in year-on-year terms. Each meeting or conference lasted an average of 1.0 day, a decrease in the average event duration of 0.5 day compared to 2019.
Exhibitions hosted in Macao in 2020 used less floor space and drew fewer people than the events held a year earlier.
About 875,000 people took part in exhibitions last year, down by 48.5% in year-on-year terms.