The MICE tourism value chain: Proposal of a conceptual framework and analysis of disintermediation

MICE tourism is a segment of the tourism industry that, due to its singularity, requires specific attention. This article offers a holistic approach to the channel of distribution of MICE tourism and targets two main objectives: (1) the proposal of a conceptual framework that depicts all stakeholders, flows of action and possibilities of intermediation-disintermediation and (2) a study of the process of intermediation-disintermediation in order to analyze its present status and future development. The investigation is supported by a quantitative research that follows the principles of descriptive statistics, with its major asset being an international survey carried out with professionals from all segments of the MICE industry and which provides the study with a global approach from a geographical and professional point of view. The results observe a slow but steady process of disintermediation in which intermediaries are being bypassed in order to reduce costs. However, it also reaches the conclusion that total disintermediation is not feasible due to the high standards of quality service that the MICE market demands.