7 prime South American ‘MICE’ locations

With its acronym “Conferences, Incentive Tourism, Conferences and Occasions,” MICE tourism — with its deal with the company market — is among the fastest-growing tourism sectors on the earth.

One of many continents now main the way in which in MICE tourism is South America. With the resumption of face-to-face occasions and conferences, this area is benefiting from its trendy hospitality infrastructure, large-capacity conference facilities, high-end resort networks, an intense cultural life and tons of leisure.

Likewise, as the company world seeks progressive methods to reward their workers, purchase new prospects, or consolidate relationships, few actions are as compelling as incentive journey to South America.

Greater than only a assembly level or a backdrop, the most effective MICE locations present an ideal setting to develop into linked to our world in a singular approach. Conferences and enterprise occasions enable guests to expertise and embrace each the atmosphere and tradition of a selected locale whereas attaining necessary targets. Such locations may function rewards and motivation for members of your staff.

Right here – in no specific order – we discover seven of the highest locations in South America that may encourage you to plan your organization’s subsequent MICE getaway.  

Buenos Aires: The Americas’ #1 convention vacation spot!

Buenos Aires… The very title evokes pictures of sensuous tango dancers, superb Malbec wine, thick juicy steaks, Maradona and Messi. House to some 3 million individuals (and host to 2.7 million guests every year), this vibrant metropolis stands out for its eye-catching structure, and a scorching arts and cultural scene. These and its many different qualities have contributed to creating Buenos Aires a fully preferrred location for the MICE business.

Contemplate the truth that the town possesses three main Conference Facilities and virtually 500 enterprise occasions venues for congresses, conventions, commerce gala’s, exhibitions, and company conferences all year long.

These assembly areas boast wonderful ICT infrastructure, making Buenos Aires one of the crucial refined MICE locations on the earth. That is evidenced via its progressive makes use of of synthetic intelligence, digital and augmented actuality, 360-degree pictures, and cellular functions that facilitate the group and digital participation of attendees

For its extra discriminating guests, the town additionally affords a variety of luxurious and boutique accommodations. Within the metropolis, vacationers can select from greater than 13,300 resort beds in four- to five-star lodging. As well as, you’ll have the possibility to indulge within the metropolis’s greater than 7,000 bars and eating places.

Because of all these qualities, the town hosts round 2,000 main worldwide occasions every year, which is why Buenos Aires is ranked because the #1 convention vacation spot within the Americas!

For incentive journeys, guests to the Argentine capital can get pleasure from unforgettable experiences in and across the metropolis each by day and night time – from tango reveals and wine tasting to and worldwide music festivals and creative reveals.
In brief, Buenos Aries has constructed a greater mousetrap that has now caught onto MICE.

São Paulo, Brazil: South America’s ‘bleisure’ hub

Whereas a FIFA World Cup could have pulled São Paulo into the world limelight, South America’s largest metropolis has lengthy been a must-visit vacation spot for MICE journey.

Along with offering the biggest resort providing in Latin America (410 accommodations with 42,000 rooms), what additionally makes São Paulo one of the crucial necessary MICE locations are its numerous cultural venues that host all the things from non-public conferences to main conferences. (Observe that the town boasts no fewer than 11 main conference facilities!)

With up-to-date airports and ever-improving city transportation in addition, these add to the town’s standing because the monetary capital of Latin America and crucial enterprise hub within the hemisphere. Subsequently, with a lot company exercise, it’s simple to see why the MICE phase is so necessary right here.

As for São Paulo’s resort scene — together with practically each main worldwide model in addition to a number of noteworthy unbiased business-friendly properties — this provides to the town’s attraction for the MICE market. Prime selections embody the Hilton São Paulo Morumbi, the 466-room Grand Hyatt São Paulo, the Renaissance São Paulo, and futuristic + minimalist Lodge Distinctive, and the elegant Casa Fasano hotel-restaurant. The vary of lodging choices is limitless.

Talking of eating places, São Paulo’s cooks are more and more identified for his or her refined culinary expertise in addition to for creating MICE-friendly venues for personal eating conferences, and different occasions. Gastronomy is among the strengths of the town, which now has 11 Michelin-starred eating places.

São Paulo shouldn’t be solely the continent’s enterprise hub, nevertheless it’s additionally a cultural capital, with boatloads of fantastic choices for company group excursions – from a tour of the town’s “Little Tokyo” district to a go to to the world-famous MASP artwork museum. What’s extra, the town’s nightlife and trend scenes are certain so as to add additional taste to any assembly or incentive outing. Even São Paulo’s futebol (soccer) stadiums are price a go to.

Enterprise vacationers will really feel extra snug than ever transiting out and in of São Paulo because of direct hyperlinks with North America and Europe. However no matter how MICE teams arrive, guests are certain to really feel the joy of South America’s greatest metropolis quickly after touching down.

Experiencing cosmopolitan São Paulo is to expertise a metropolis that’s awake 24/7, with a life-style combining work and pleasure like two sides of the identical coin. For these taking a MICE journey right here, they’ll uncover for themselves that Sao Paulo is all about “bleisure” (enterprise + leisure).

Quito: An rising mice vacation spot

Whereas Quito could also be one of many extra obscure selections for conferences and occasions, the Ecuadorian capital is eager on selling enterprise tourism and conferences within the metropolis. That is being tried via strengthening of the town as a vacation spot by bringing collectively the best situations for holding cultural occasions, conventions, congresses and incentive journeys.

Based on native tourism boosters, the town is selling MICE actions in its dozens of “heritage areas,” rural haciendas, metropolitan parks, up to date areas, and assembly websites in high-end accommodations throughout the town. As well as, Quito’s first-class conference middle is probably the most trendy within the nation, offering an unlimited area for commerce gala’s and conferences. Close by is a fair bigger “Occasions Middle” that hosts gala’s, live shows and large reveals that host as much as 50,000 attendees. Each of those large-event facilities are served by Quito’s brand-new metro system.

Quito’s rising culinary arts and cultural scenes are points of interest in themselves

As an rising MICE incentive vacation spot, Quito is way more than a jumping-off level for visits to the nation’s famed Galapagos Islands. With a wealthy colonial previous and reference to Ecuador’s indigenous heritage, Quito is awash with ethnic markets, historic plazas, tight historical streets, and well-weathered buildings, lots of which are actually snug, luxurious accommodations.

The ever-improving culinary and cultural arts scenes in Quito go away one thing extra to find, making the Ecuadorian capital an opportune option to enterprise to new territory and add much more worth to your corporation conferences, company occasions or incentive journey.

Rio de Janeiro: For a team-building incentive journey like few others

A fantasy for many vacationers, Rio de Janeiro is the dream vacation spot the place you push again in your seashore chair, sip a chilly fruity “caipirinha,” and watch the lady from Ipanema stroll by. A metropolis of such legendary proportions, it is a place the place residents dance to their very own distinctive beat. Identified to locals as “the Marvelous Metropolis,” Rio’s city façade is fringed by mountains, white sandy shorelines, and infinite rainforests.

So, in the event you’re planning a MICE occasion that may impress your purchasers or encourage your workers, few locations will do the trick higher. Image the Rio Carnival, probably the most wonderful and common social gathering on the earth? This well-known Carnival — the world’s largest — sees as many as two million individuals, wearing probably the most elaborate costumes, fill the streets earlier than Lent every year. Vacationers from throughout Brazil and additional afield flood the town in quest of the pageant’s attribute vibrant colours, energetic dancing, and soulful South American music.

And who hasn’t seen pictures of Rio’s famed Sugar Loaf Mountain and the Christ the Redeemer statue? Or how concerning the stunning seashores of Ipanema and Copacabana which have impressed musicians from everywhere in the world? Rio de Janeiro is all that and way more. The metropolis’s wide selection of different points of interest embody its nice meals and its ENERGY! All that’s precisely what an incentive journey to Rio is all about.

It additionally seems that Rio de Janeiro is a hotspot for team-building workouts; gone are the times of lifeless enterprise getaways that make your workers dread heading off-site. At the moment, Rio offers numerous team-building actions and workouts that should foster teamwork; strengthen cohesion, bonding and communication; and improve worker productiveness. Such actions may embody group competitions like volleyball matches on Ipanema seashore, guided group excursions of native tradition, gala dinners in unique villas with ocean views, a non-public golf match, or attending the annual Rock-in-Rio pageant. Firm outings additionally encourage innovation amongst staff members and supply a pleasant psychological break. Once more, the probabilities are limitless.

Supporting these Rio de Janeiro points of interest, in addition to the town’s MICE tourism business, are a variety of companies, together with uber-modern accommodations with assembly rooms, upscale eating places, environment friendly transportation providers, and occasion firms providing personalized team-building days and sightseeing excursions.

As most enterprise takes place in Rio’s northern downtown monetary middle, most MICE vacationers have a tendency to remain in accommodations there or at these close to the seashores in Copacabana and Ipanema within the Zona Sul, or southern zone. Lodging just like the newer, extra trendy and complex JW Marriott or the extra elegant, old-world expertise of the Copacabana Palace Lodge. Extra edgy abodes embody the Lodge Santa Teresa, housed in an outdated espresso plantation mansion, or the five-star Philippe Stark-designed Lodge Fasano, down on Ipanema seashore. Much like Sao Paulo, the choices abound right here too.

To enrich your keep, the town middle can be dwelling to a plethora of eating places, starting from the fashionable and classy to the standard and homely – all shut to 1 one other — which is a perfect set-up for MICE vacationers.

Attending to and from the town is a breeze. A world airport situated lower than 20 minutes from all the most important accommodations and convention facilities within the metropolis. As well as, there are quite a few occasion areas to select from, providing a wide array to fulfill any occasion organizer’s wants.

All through this dynamic metropolis, there are distinctive experiences for all sorts of MICE vacationers. Whether or not you’re motivated or incentivized by a superb eating expertise, tradition, solar, sea or sport, Rio de Janeiro has one thing for everybody.

Cartagena Colombia: The Caribbean’s MICE go-to vacation spot

The jewel of Colombia’s Caribbean coast, Cartagena de Indias stands proudly as a world-class vacation spot for Conferences, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE). Its well-developed hospitality infrastructure positions this metropolis because the go-to vacation spot for business occasions within the Caribbean area. The town’s wealthy historic appeal, cobbled streets, vigorous plazas, and flower-laden balconies proceed to attract in enterprise vacationers and leisure vacationers alike.

Cartagena is a compact metropolis, which means occasion attendees will discover most all the things of curiosity inside an eight-mile radius, together with the airport, accommodations, vacationer points of interest, conference facilities, buying malls, the historic district, wonderful eating places, and the fabulous bay.

Contemplate the truth that Cartagena ranks twelfth within the Americas’ rating of the variety of conferences per metropolis made by the Worldwide Congress and Conference Affiliation (ICCA), only a few positions behind Bogota. It is also in place quantity 58 worldwide.

As for services, the town has a fundamental worldwide conference middle that may entertain 7,000 individuals in a single area. It was designed to host congresses, exhibitions, gala’s, and worldwide live shows. As well as, different smaller occasions and conferences might be held in any of the town’s 200 resort institutions.

As for attendee lodging, the province boasts 44.411 beds and 24.948 rooms distributed in numerous lodgings, situated principally in Cartagena, the regional capital. Each the infrastructure of its conference facilities and the variety of luxurious and boutique accommodations within the metropolis make Cartagena an incredible vacation spot for internet hosting main occasions equivalent to congresses, conventions, gala’s, and enterprise and political conferences.

With its altering picture and popularity, Cartagena is step by step taking its place within the international rankings of MICE locations. The town’s position has thereby assisted in putting Colombia among the many prime MICE locations worldwide.

Cartagena de Indias seems amongst the highest incentive vacation spot lists — outranking Russia, New Zealand, Chile, and South Africa — for all the fitting causes. Cartagena de Indias is a dynamic metropolis with a plethora of excellent actions for any customer. A picturesque seaside metropolis of contemporary structure, characterised by a colonial backdrop of balconies and cobblestone streets, displays a wealthy sense of tradition and historical past that makes Cartagena excellent for discussions, conferences, and extra. By day it’s a metropolis of PGA golf, catamaran excursions, crusing, and exploring the colossal San Felipe de Barajas Citadel; however as soon as the solar goes down, attendees can savor some really beautiful eating and let unfastened whereas indulging within the metropolis’s thumping nightlife.

Cartagena is bursting with high-end accommodations, convention facilities, extravagant eating places and historic landmarks, making it an excellent setting for a productive and memorable MICE journey.

Bogota, Colombia: One of the best vacation spot for MICE conferences

A vibrant metropolis that’s a singular mix of historical past, tradition, enterprise, and leisure, Bogota is incomes its popularity as one of many principal MICE locations in South America. The Colombian capital is crucial metropolis for enterprise tourism within the nation and is ranked sixth among the many most related Latin American cities for the conferences business. As well as, it was acknowledged in 2020, 2021 and 2022 because the “Greatest Vacation spot for Enterprise Journey in South America” based on the World Journey Awards.

Bogota is definitely no stranger to the occasions sector and has welcomed many conferences at its three main conference facilities, every capable of host between three and 4 thousand individuals. The town additionally has practically 200 assembly and convention areas situated in prime accommodations and specialised facilities.

This broad collection of different-sized convention rooms is complemented by luxurious accommodations well-placed to accommodate business-class occasions and high-value features. The truth is, Bogota has the primary built-in commerce truthful district in Latin America. This consists of a conference middle, fairgrounds and resort services with the provision of greater than 32,000 rooms and 45,000 beds. That is wonderful infrastructure for holding occasions and high-quality vacationer providers, which — mixed with distinctive experiences equivalent to its superb eating, tradition and pure atmosphere — make Bogota the proper vacation spot for the holding of enormous occasions.

On the stage of connectivity, the town’s El Dorado Worldwide Airport connects greater than 80 locations, 41 worldwide (23 international locations) and 40 home locations operated by 23 airways.

In brief, the Colombian capital’s strong and ample enterprise infrastructure (to not point out its aggressive costs) makes this comparatively unexplored vacation spot crucial metropolis for enterprise tourism in Colombia and ranks it within the prime six Latin American cities for MICE.

NOTE: Bogota can be a cheap vacation spot for MICE conventions. That is very true when in comparison with different main cities in North America and Europe. 

Lima, Peru: MICE within the ‘Metropolis of Kings’

Lima has been ranked because the second-best metropolis in South America for the event of assembly tourism. The Worldwide Congress and Conference Affiliation (ICCA) made this evaluation because of the metropolis’s capability to host top-level occasions

Lima is characterised by its trendy buildings, lush parks, charming plazas, and stately squares, providing the most effective safety and safety to its guests. In all of Peru, it enjoys the biggest variety of accommodations, eating places, buying facilities, artwork galleries, cafes, casinos, theaters and cinemas, night time reveals, bars and discos — thus making it exhausting to not discover Lima the proper MICE vacation spot.

For main conferences and occasions, the Lima Conference Centre alone accommodates as much as 10,500 individuals and is among the largest in South America. Lima has greater than 330 assembly services served by probably the most trendy infrastructure and know-how for satisfying all the necessities of any sort of occasion, nationwide or worldwide, and turning guests’ keep into a singular expertise.

By way of lodging, to this point, the town is dwelling to greater than 20 main worldwide resort chains. Amongst these are world-class accommodations such because the Marriott, Belmond, Swissotel, and different worldwide manufacturers which have invested within the metropolis. Nonetheless, it’s probably you’ll even be amazed by the nice high quality of native resort manufacturers and eating places that will let you expertise the tradition.

And talking of eating places, it’s unimaginable to overlook the unimaginable fine-dining scene that has develop into so well-developed in Lima. Lima’s delicacies is known all all over the world. Centuries in the past, the nation’s conventional substances began to fuse with Spanish, Asian, and different cuisines from all over the world, with scrumptious and distinctive dishes in consequence. With Lima within the lead, Peru has even earned the title of the “World’s Main Culinary Vacation spot” within the World Journey Awards for 5 of the final six years. As such, the culinary arts sector is extremely developed, which means that unforgettable eating experiences for each sort of incentive traveler or group might be simply organized.

Lima shouldn’t be solely a preferred nation amongst leisure vacationers; the various metropolis can be more and more talked about among the many world’s prime MICE incentive locations. This isn’t stunning, since Lima affords infinite prospects for incentive journey experiences permitting your purchasers or staff members to work together with native cultures and revel in really distinctive locations. Likewise, incentive journeys to Lima might be completely mixed with excursions to different well-known outlying Peruvian locations like Machu Picchu, the Nazca Strains, Cusco, or the Sacred Valley and the Inca Path.

For years, Lima and different cities have made Peru one in every of South America’s hottest journey locations. As a consequence, the Andean nation may be very nicely linked. From many cities in america, Europe and Latin America, direct flights arrive and depart from the capital metropolis. Even higher is the convenience of touring all through Lima and to surrounding areas with environment friendly and well-organized transportation – be it on trendy tour buses, luxurious trains, or home flights.

All of this makes Lima a one-of-a-kind vacation spot. The town’s forward-thinking strategy to integrating guests with the historic panorama and embracing their wealthy native tradition is pushing “The Metropolis of Kings” to the forefront of common MICE locations.

Conclusion: It’s time to suppose MICE

Clearly, conferences, conventions, conferences, and occasions are an important part of Latin America’s tourism and journey business. MICE tourism offers a platform the place patrons and sellers from all over the world safe enterprise and launch new merchandise, in addition to a possibility for rising markets within the area to showcase their services and choices to the enterprise neighborhood.

And as for incentive journey, the continent’s wealthy cultural heritage involves life in conventional festivals and native markets, offering a motivating expertise for deserving workers particularly. With actions starting from eco-tours to water sports activities and sundown horse rides, South America ensures that these vacationers will discover their excellent slice of paradise, making it a well-rounded vacation spot for each enterprise and leisure.

Pondering of MICE exercise journey? Suppose South America!

Alfonso Tandazo

Alfonso Tandazo is President and CEO at Surtrek Tour Operator. Surtrek Tour Operator is a well-established agency, specializing in custom-designed luxurious excursions in Ecuador, the Galapagos and all through the remainder of South America. If you want to be a visitor blogger on A Luxurious Journey Weblog with a view to elevate your profile, please contact us.