It’s human nature to look for the next big thing. And in the meetings and incentives industry, any of several factors can help push an international destination into the global limelight. Whether it’s a slew of new hotels, an impressive infrastructure upgrade or increasing economic importance, here are six world destinations that should be on your radar.
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
It may be the oldest European-founded city in the Americas, but Santo Domingo is moving quickly into the future, with a shiny new Metro rail system, a growing number of upscale retail and dining options, and more internationally branded hotels than ever.
Among the newest properties: Hilton Worldwide plans to open the 200-room Embassy Suites by Hilton Santo Domingo at the end of this year, with more than 16,000 square feet of meeting space. Also in the works are the 245-room Sheraton Santo Domingo, which will open in December after an upgrade of the former Melia Santo Domingo, and the 131-room JW Marriott Hotel Santo Domingo, slated to debut in 2014 adjacent to the upscale Blue Mall.
“Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic has gained tremendous popularity with the international meetings market, due to our convenient location and quality hotel services,” says Exmin Carvajal, director of marketing and sales at the Crowne Plaza Santo Domingo, a property formerly known as the InterContinental V Centenario. “Santo Domingo has a solid tourism infrastructure, with the presence of major global hotel brands that have ensured service standardization and internationalization of service.”
Hector Concari, general manager at the Hilton Santo Domingo, is bullish about the city’s growth potential.
“With excellent connections to and from the continental U.S. and Puerto Rico, strong hotel room inventory and a sophisticated dining and shopping scene that complements the colonial tradition of the city, Santo Domingo is very well positioned to become a major player in the international meetings business in the Caribbean,” Concari remarks. PageBreak
Quito, Ecuador
The infrastructure in Ecuador’s capital is growing in big ways, with a brand-new airport, new convention centers and an increasingly beautiful historic center among the factors that vie for planners’ attention.
Among the most-discussed news to come from Quito is the Mariscal Sucre International Airport, an all-new facility that debuted in February. The new airport is further from the city than its predecessor, but it’s also larger and sits at a lower altitude, which means it can handle flights from more cities. That’s good news for groups—as are the plans to convert the old airport grounds into Parque Bicentenario (Bicentennial Park), a city park that will include a new convention center, a 30,000-person arena and a golf course.
Even before the park’s convention center debuts, planners are already making use of two recently opened venues: Quorum Quito Convention Center and Alfa Point Business Center, both of which officially opened their doors in March. Located three miles east of Quito in the Cumbaya Valley, the 90,000-square-foot convention center has 16 eco-friendly meeting and event rooms, while Alfa Point has more than 34,000 square feet of furnished meeting space. Near the new convention and business facilities is Paseo San Francisco, a 1.7-million-square-foot retail and dining complex.
Quito’s historic city center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is another big draw for groups in need of unique venues and experiences. (It’s also a reason why National Geographic Traveler named the city one of the top destinations to visit for 2013.)One of the city’s newest luxury hotels is here; the 31-room Casa Gangotena, set in a formerly private mansion, has a reading room that hosts up to 14 people for meetings and 30 for private cocktail parties.
Montenegro
Sometimes, a big political change can be the catalyst that puts a destination on the map for travelers and meeting planners. Such is the case with Montenegro, a southeastern European nation that split from Yugoslavia in 2006.
“Ever since we got back our independence, Montenegro has been recognized [by the] world as a new untouched, unexplored ‘pearl’ of Southern Europe,” says Marko Vujovi, a marketing representative for Hit Montenegro, which owns the 196-room Maestral Resort & Casino in Budva, a coastal town on the Adriatic Sea that has become a growing destination for tourism, meetings and incentive groups.
And the nation has yet to reach its full potential, according to Zarko Radulovi, co-owner of Montenegro Stars Hotel Group, which owns a number of properties, including the 322-room Hotel Splendid Conference and Spa Resort.
“The growth is outstanding… growth rates are high,” he says. “However, it does not mean that we are a developed destination when it comes to MICE. The development of that tourism segment started from a baseline that was low, so growth rates are high—from 20 to 30 percent.”
Montenegro’s allure lies partly in the easy access it offers to a wide variety of experiences, according to Radulovi. “It is true that there are many beautiful destinations in the Mediterranean and thousands worldwide, but Montenegro is among the few in which, in just three hours, you can experience so much diversity—and return from skiing in the mountains to bathe in the sea, hike and bike,” he explains. PageBreak
SCOTLAND
The United Kingdom’s northernmost nation, Scotland is gearing up for groups with an array of new, large-scale meeting and event facilities and group-friendly hotels. In addition, the nation’s ability to host large events will likely gain additional attention in 2014, when it hosts the Commonwealth Games, Homecoming 2014 and the Ryder Cup.
“We’re on the starting blocks, ready to race into the global spotlight with a once in a lifetime line-up of outstanding events in 2014,” says Mike Cantlay, chair of VisitScotland. “Our hospitality and scenery is celebrated across the world, but we must not be complacent. It’s time to pull together as a nation and make 2014 truly spectacular, showcasing our country in the best possible way from providing top-class accommodation and service to outstanding food and drink.”
Opening this spring is the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, a $114 million expansion of one of Scotland’s largest convention and exhibition venues. New spaces in the revamped facility include a glass-enclosed atrium for groups of up to 300, a 300-seat cafe and a large venue with a moving floor that transforms the space from a flat floor to a 2,000-person auditorium.
Opening in September is the Scottish Hydro Arena, a 12,000-seat performance venue at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) in Glasgow. The new arena complements the SECC’s existing meeting options, which includes a 3,000-seat auditorium and more than 240,000 square feet of flexible space. Officials expect the new arena to attract one million visitors annually, making it one of the top five busiest indoor music arenas in the world.
New and upgraded hotels are also popping up around Scotland, including the 60-room Hotel Indigo, which debuted last year in the center of Edinburgh. In the revamp category are two hotels in Edinburgh: the former Caledonian Hilton, which, after a $32 million renovation last year, has been rebranded as the Caledonian, a Waldorf Astoria Hotel, and the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, which upgraded its meeting space last year, with new décor and technology that includes Bluetooth media hubs.
South Africa
Africa’s “Rainbow Nation” has continued to improve and add to its tourism and meetings infrastructure in the years since the 2010 World Cup put it on the modern map for global events.
A favorable exchange rate is helping to drive growth, according to Yolanda Woeke-Jacobs, director of sales and marketing for Dragonfly Africa, a DMC with operations in 10 countries. “All clients are looking for added value,” she says. “There could not be a better time than right now to be planning a trip to South Africa.”
“2013 has started with a bang, and whilst we are not quite back to pre-recession business levels, the interest and number of RFPs being received is up almost 50 percent versus the first two months of 2012,” remarks Daryl Keywood, managing director of Walters DMC. “Whilst South Africa is often associated with its main attractions of Cape Town and safaris. Johannesburg is fast becoming a major convention destination, and Durban and Port Elizabeth have excellent facilities as well and are featuring them more often on the international conference agenda.”
To meet the demand, the Cape Town International Convention Centre is planning an expansion, while a brand-new facility, Boardwalk International Convention Centre, has debuted on the historic Port Elizabeth beachfront, with more than 32,000 square feet of meeting space. A new hotel, the 140-room Boardwalk Hotel and Spa, a Sun International property, opened adjacent to the convention center in December 2012.
Also new on the hotel scene is Sun International’s The Maslow Hotel, which opened in Johannesburg’s upscale Sandton district in January.
“Overall, the growth of South Africa as a destination for international meetings, incentives and conventions is very strong,” says Ian Anderson, the company’s global sales and marketing director.
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
When it comes to meetings and incentives, Ho Chi Minh City is “definitely on the rise,” according to Paul Levrier, managing director for Destination Asia (Vietnam), a local DMC that also has a sales office in Chicago. “We have to keep in mind that this city started from a zero base 15 or so years ago,” he says. “There was simply very little in the way of infrastructure back then, and very few internationally recognized hotels. As the destination as a whole has grown, so too has its hotel industry. With the more corporate-focused hotels of the Intercontinental, the Park Hyatt and the Sheraton [brands], we have seen a substantial rise in interest in meetings and incentives.”
Levrier adds that the opening of the 350-room Le Meridien Saigon in 2014 will only strengthen the destination’s appeal.
The largest city in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City—also sometimes called by its former name, Saigon—is also diversifying its product offerings. A new 18-hole golf course, the Jeungsan Golf Club, opened last year on an island in the Saigon River.
Growth will continue in the meetings segment as more companies open up shop in Vietnam, according to Jenny An, marketing communications manager at the 244-room Park Hyatt Saigon .
“Many meetings are held in Saigon because more and more factories and manufacturing companies are opening in a wide variety of industries, [including] furniture, retail, banking, automobiles and oil and gas,” she says.
Mark Chesnut is a NYC-based freelance journalist with fond memories of South Africa and Vietnam.
