Namibia is losing millions of dollars due to the country not ranking among the more competitive global destinations for the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) industry.

Local experts are gearing up to build MICE as a new sub-sector in the tourism industry.

Meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions—or MICE—are a global industry that, in 2022, was worth N$43 billion.

With a sudden spotlight on Namibia because of new industries like green hydrogen and oil, and gas, the country has a chance to grow its MICE industry.

According to the Namibia Convention Bureau, 36 international conferences were hosted locally in the past 12 months, and Namibia lost out.

The Namibia Tourism Board CEO, Sebulon Chicalu, hence invited stakeholders for the first-ever MICE training at Swakopmund.

A Namibia Convention Bureau was set up a year ago to market the country as a MICE destination.

The Bureau revealed that, although there are many event management companies and planners, there is only one certified professional conference organiser in the country.

Most professional conference organisers do not trust Namibian companies to host international events, according to the bureau.

In Africa, Namibia is trailing at the bottom of the MICE destination list at 2.2%.

South Africa is at the top with 30%, followed by Rwanda at 9.6%.