Although the global epidemic remains intense, the attendees were still able to exchange information and discuss future plans. In particular, because of its amazing job of containing the outbreak, Taiwan was highly praised by many buyers. They also said that its good image of travel safety will be a real strength for them when proposing Taiwan as an Asian destination in the future. Moreover, the attendees were generally optimistic about Taiwan's international tourism market after the epidemic. During the appointments, buyer questions tended to focus on events scheduled after May 2021 as well as cultural & heritage experience tours. In-depth cultural tours look to be a strong trend going forward.
The professionals in the Opening Keynote webinar themed “Digital-First Future in MICE and Corporate Travel” mentioned that MICE industry players should actively integrate online and offline resources, position themselves to follow MICE trends, create new and value-added event marketing models, and provide for digital conferencing as well as incentive travel. However, some experts pointed out that virtual events may not be very helpful in launching new products and establishing new contacts, but may be helpful in terms of maintaining customer relationships. In general, parties must first establish a relationship of mutual trust before they can then continue their relationship using digital technologies. Therefore, branding will be more important in the future.
In order to support the growth of international tourism and business travel in the post-pandemic world, the Tourism Bureau joined this virtual event in order to communicate with important relevant industry institutions and promote Taiwan's MICE industry. Although the epidemic has temporarily hindered global transportation, new advanced digital technology has opened up infinite possibilities for people to communicate as well as a new chapter for the tourism industry.