Is Bintan ready for the return of MICE?

With Bintan having opened up two-way quarantine-free travel with Singapore, the Indonesian destination is hopeful for the return of MICE travellers.

Said Sulaiman Shehdek, Visit Indonesia Tourism Officer for Singapore, "Bintan has been awarded for its CHSE protocols and offers a great escape for companies who wish to organise their corporate events away from Singapore. Under Bubble Bintan, the destination offers a complete holiday destination for both the leisure and corporate market."

According to Abdul Wahab, group general manager, Bintan Resort Cakrawala, an estimated 25% to 30% of Bintan’s international arrivals pre-Covid were MICE groups.

During Covid, Bintan’s MICE business was kept alive by the domestic market. In particular, Indonesia's government sectors which held frequent meetings at the island’s resorts, shared Banyan Tree Bintan’s general manager Alpha Eldiansyah.

While the long-term plan is for MICE to come back in full force, current Covid restrictions mean that recovery will be gradual. Under the travel bubble, only 350 international travellers can enter the island per week. This makes it challenging for resorts to accept bookings for large corporate bookings.

Nevertheless, Eldiansyah is confident and optimistic about the future recovery of MICE, especially when restrictions ease.

“I believe lots of Singapore companies want to do offsite meetings again because they haven't been able to travel anywhere the last two years,” he said.

Wahab adds that Bintan is an appealing MICE destination, offering a completely different environment from Singapore’s urban jungle.

“We have plenty of venues for exhibitions, apart from your stereotypical convention hall,” he said. “At Bintan Resorts, companies can do them in the open, for example by the beach or at the golf course. They can also complement their meetings with leisure experiences like activities at the resorts.”

Banyan Tree Bintan will also be rolling out special packages to attract MICE groups, some of which include sustainability components. For example, a Turtle Release programme where guests are invited to help release baby turtles from the resort’s hatchery back into the wild.