Niche Theory Analysis of Sustainable Strategic Relationships among MICE Destinations: A Case of Four Cities in Waikato and Bay of Plenty Regions of New Zealand

Jiwon Lee

doi:10.3390/tourhosp3010010

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the competitive relationship among meetings, incentive, convention, and exhibition (MICE) destinations with reference to the notion of niche businesses in New Zealand, and to explore the existence of cooperative strategies between neighboring destinations. The data were collected from the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment Reports on the Convention Activity Survey (CAS) in New Zealand. The study contributes towards an innovative and better understanding of the dynamics of sustainable destination competitiveness. It broadens the scope of MICE industry research by exploring new insights on the notion of destination competition and makes a theoretical connection between niche theory and the importance of coopetition. By investigating the case of MICE destinations of four central cities in New Zealand, this study provides information on the strategic significance of niche marketing for global destinations preparing for entrance into this market.

Highlights

The MICE industry has grown significantly in recent years due to tourism being an important force driving the global economy [1]
Analyzing the New Zealand Convention Activity Survey reports from 2011 to 2018 showed that the total volume of all business events held in New Zealand was 363,245 (45,445 on average per year)
Meetings or seminars displayed the highest volume by event type, and special occasion events ranked with approximately 20% on average across all cities, but the ratios differed between cities

Summary

Introduction

The MICE (meeting, incentives, convention, and exhibitions) industry has grown significantly in recent years due to tourism being an important force driving the global economy [1]. Awareness of this economic potential has led numerous local and national governments to devote resources to the development or expansion of MICE facilities [2]. The boom in MICE facility development does not always show results for local economies [3]. In an ever-increasingly saturated market, the fundamental task for destination managers is to understand how competition can be enhanced and sustained [7] resulting in a strong need to explore competitive advantage and to analyze actual competitive positions [8]

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Discussion

Conclusion