To measure the value of the Guatemala MICE industry, the country’s Institute of Tourism has carried out a study on the economic importance of conferences and meetings.
In 2016, 19,586 conferences and meetings were organized in the country. These generated 695,000 overnight stays in local hotels. According to the Director of the Institute of Tourism the Guatemala MICE segment is one of the 11 sectors identified in the Sustainable Tourism Plan, which is undergoing a major growth phase.
Thanks to the study, it is possible to estimate the importance of the conference industry and evaluate its economic impact and job creation.
18,133 events took place in facilities specialized in congresses and conferences (93%) and 1,454 (7%) in exhibition centers and other locations such as museums, stadiums, universities. The events attracted 1.18 million attendees, of whom 57.6% were locals (coming from cities max. 75 kilometers from the venue). 25.5% people involved were from the same country and 11.8% from other countries of Central America and the rest of the world.
Another positive fact with respect to Guatemala MICE is the per-capita cost incurred by the congress organization which accounted to $885 on average. The total investment was approximately $517.8 million, while participants spent $503.3 million. The sector contributed 768.7 million to Guatemala’s GDP, which is 1.2% per national GDP. The MICE sector also generates 27,010 direct and indirect jobs.