Trends creating MICE opportunities for second-tier cities in Central Europe

by Katarzyna Lesniewska & Tomasz Napierala, University of Lodz; Marta Szkaradkiewicz, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences; Dawid Szutowski, Poznan University of Economics; Even Tjorve, Lillehammer University College

Abstract

In the paper the authors examine development of MICE in second-tier cities in Central Europe. The goal of the paper is to depict the history of how the windows of opportunities to develop MICE in second-tier cities have opened in the past. Moreover, the authors examine how this development stories varies between cities.

The study area refers to the region of Central Europe and Baltic States defined by Hamilton, Andrews & Pichler-Milanovic (2005). The research consists of the detailed studies on the second largest cities in particular states: Albania (Durrës), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Banja Luka), Bulgaria (Plovdiv), Croatia (Split), Czech Republic (Brno), Estonia (Tartu), Hungary (Debrecen), Latvia (Daugavpils), Lithuania (Kaunas), Macedonia (Bitola), Poland (Kraków), Romania (Cluj-Napoca), Serbia (Novi Sad), Slovakia (Košice), and Slovenia (Maribor). The list of investigated cities has been extended by third-tier and next-tier cities inhabited by at least 500 thousands of people. However, such kind of cities are located only in Poland: Łódź, Wrocław and Poznań.

In the paper, two research methods are employed. Firstly, recent situation of the MICE industry in second-tier cities in Central Europe is described in the quantitative manner. Data on the MICE industry in second-tier cities in Central Europe is collected and analyzed. Secondly, qualitative content analysis of existing reports, municipal strategies for MICE or tourism development, professional websites and scientific papers is used to depict history and recent trends in MICE tourism industry in investigated cities. As the result of depicted methodological triangulation, the typology of cities as a MICE tourism destinations is shown.

Keywords

Cities; Second-tier cities; MICE tourism; Central Europe

Literature

  • Hamilton F.E.I., Andrews K.D., Pichler-Milanovic N. (Eds.), 2005, Transformation of cities in Central and Eastern Europe. Towards globalization, United Nations University Press, Tokyo.