A critical assessment of the sectorial development potential of business tourism events

Abstract

Using the case of the Africa Travel Association (ATA) 2012 and the United Nations World Tourism Organisation General Assembly (UNWTO GA) 2013, this PhD thesis interrogates the sectorial development potential of business tourism events in a developing destination like Zimbabwe. The overall purpose was to derive a set of sustainable MICE tourism development indicators that could operationalise the long-term benefits from the hosting of such business tourism events, especially in developing countries. To achieve the set goal, the study evaluated literature on development theories, role of business tourism events in the development of the sector and the legacy effects of such events. Modernisation theory, dependency theory, neo-liberalism, sustainable development, human development, the impasse and post development and global development theories were evaluated and the sustainable development framework was found to be appropriate. The literature reviewed revealed that meetings and conferences promote the development of airports, roads (infrastructure), hotels, conference facilities (superstructure), as well as contributing to exports, employment, government revenue, entrepreneurship, Gross Domestic Product, peace and security, information communication technology, improved access to better health care services, culture exchange and destination marketing. A sequential explanatory mixed method design was employed to gather data from the supply side. The quantitative data was collected in the first phase followed by qualitative data in the second phase. A questionnaire survey was conducted to gather information from the demand side. Semi-structured questionnaires and face-to-face interviews were used to gather data from MICE tourism service providers and conference attendees. Thematic analysis was employed for qualitative results while statistical analysis was used for quantitative results. The study combined the supply of and demand for business tourism events’ results, in developing indicators. The results revealed that the hosting of ATA and UNWTO GA brought short and long-term economic, socio-cultural, political, environmental (infrastructure, supra-structure and green initiatives on resource management) and telecommunications development in Zimbabwe that showed short-term positives as the negative economic, political situation and COVID-19 eroded the accrued benefits. The findings led to the development of 28 indicators which comprised (i) the environmental dimension that had three categories with thirteen indicators, (ii) the social dimension that had three dimensions with eight indicators and, (iii) the economic dimension that had two dimensions with seven indicators. This was a unique contribution, since no other research has developed monitoring and assessment indicators for sustainable MICE tourism development that can be replicated in other developing business tourism destinations. The infrastructure (refurbished Victoria Falls International Airport and road networks), superstructure (renovated hotels and state-of-art conference facilities) indicators in Victoria Falls were good indicators indicating that the sector has great potential to host regional and international business tourism events. This was supported by green practices such as waste management, water management and energy conservation practices performed by hotels and conference venues. The sectorial development potential of business tourism events in social development was pleasing, leading to improved health care services, access to clean water, development in telecommunications, improved destination image and support for societal skills through networking, exchanging skills and professional development. The sector’s development potential in economic development was lagging behind as shown by poor indicators on its contribution to employment, GDP, exports and occupancy rates in hotels. The pandemics, political and economic instabilities experienced by the country held the sector back from achieving its full potential. From the set of MICE tourism indicators developed, tourism policymakers and other stakeholders might use the indicators to evaluate and develop a set of MICE tourism indicators at both local and regional level in different destinations. The proposed indicators will monitor and assess the sectorial and economic development of such tourism events.