Singapore is increasing its focus on attracting more meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) as part of its long-term tourism strategy. This includes offering more practical support to local trade groups and business chambers to help them organise and host events in the country.

Under its Tourism 2040 plan, Singapore aims to grow tourism receipts to between S$47 billion and S$50 billion by 2040, up from S$29.8 billion in 2024. A key driver of this growth will be business events, as MICE travellers typically spend about twice as much as leisure visitors. The goal is to triple MICE-related tourism receipts over this period.

The sector is already showing strong momentum. In 2024, business events generated S$1.7 billion in tourism receipts, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. This growth continued into 2025, supported by a strong lineup of major events across industries such as finance, manufacturing, aviation, healthcare, and logistics. Large-scale exhibitions, trade shows, and conventions have drawn tens of thousands of international attendees, and the pipeline of events remains strong heading into 2026.

Alongside attracting global events, there is also a focus on strengthening local capabilities. A partnership with the Singapore Business Federation is helping trade associations build the skills needed to bid for and host international meetings. This includes initiatives such as industry summits, knowledge-sharing platforms, and the development of practical resources to guide event planning and execution. These efforts are designed to bring global expertise into Singapore while supporting local businesses.

To support long-term growth, there is also a push to improve productivity and scale the industry more efficiently. This includes exploring the use of technology, such as artificial intelligence and automation, to help the sector do more without significantly increasing manpower.

At the same time, Singapore is rethinking how event spaces are used. With demand growing for more unique and engaging venues, organisers are increasingly turning to non-traditional locations such as lifestyle spaces, attractions, and hotels. There are also plans being studied for a new downtown MICE hub to complement existing infrastructure.

Overall, the outlook remains positive, with Asia continuing to be a strong growth region. However, achieving these long-term targets will require continued collaboration across the industry and sustained effort to scale capabilities and offerings.