April 28, 2022 | By Bronwen Largier | Image credit: Tourism Australia
Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) has secured six international incentive groups in the last month, with the first delegates arriving in the city in May.
The groups are travelling to Australia from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and New Zealand, with 162 delegates filling 1,661 room nights and expected to inject $898,000 into the Victorian economy next month.
“We’re thrilled to once again welcome back international corporate incentive groups – both large and small – to Melbourne,” said MCB CEO Julia Swanson.
“MCB works to boost hotel occupancy in the traditionally quiet shoulder periods with visitors staying mid-week.”
According to the bureau, these are the first incentive groups to travel to Melbourne since Australia’s international border closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic more than two years ago in March 2020.
Pre-pandemic, Melbourne hosted an average of over 100 international incentive groups annually, with around 55,000 delegates spending $1,019.00 a day on average during their stay.
Every incentive group will visit regional Victoria as part of their visit, with destinations including the Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, Phillip Island and the Great Ocean Road.
Swanson says all incentive groups secured by the bureau incorporate regional Victoria into their itinerary.