In response to an article highlighting that South African businesses will not be immune from the escalating costs of business travel, The MICE Academy Founder, Helen Brewer, had this to say: 

“The price rise in MICE products and services, particularly venues, is causing much angst within the corporate sector (over 60% of the SA MICE market). There may be a ‘pent-up demand for in-person meetings’ on the international front in particular and the national front in general – as to the actual final take-up is quite another matter, certainly within the SA market. 

“The MICE charge goalposts are getting messy with opaque per person fee inclusions amongst associations, while venues add on and take off various charge options. Confused charge structures invariably lead to a drop in attending numbers. 

“The MICE Academy agrees in that tax-breaks and government incentives are not the answer, merely a short-term adrenalin rush causing a hard drop in realisation and further industry confusion.”