Fifth article on The tourism industry in Spain, the MICE segment 1992 evolution and its future.
By José Aleixandre Caballero , May 2026
For TRAVELLER TIMES
Since the vacation tourism business in Spain began its glory days in the 1960s/70s… the evolution of the tourism industry has not stopped growing.
The Iberian Peninsula was and is one of the most popular and valued in the global vacation market, also earning an excellent reputation in the MICE segment, which experienced the beginning of its growth back in the 1993/94 period after overcoming some crisis periods such as the “Gulf War” 90/91, among other important factors like the lack of accommodation in large luxury and four-star hotels as well as meeting room spaces and Congress Palaces, which did not favor capturing the highly prized MICE segment due to the inability to offer a suitable set of products.
It was practically in 1992 when the boosts generated by the extraordinary world-class events in Spain were taken advantage of… such as the Barcelona 92 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Madrid European Capital, Seville Expo 92, the inauguration of the Madrid-Seville AVE… which, together with other major events, forced the tourism industry to expand, compelling us to build “many” newly constructed hotels and venues designed for the present and future of the MICE market in particular… Congress Palaces, expansion of Trade Fair spaces and airports, greater transport offerings, and the adaptation of large Venues to host product exhibitions, meetings, presentations, gala dinners, concerts, company lunches, incentive groups, etc.
The first years after 1992 were evolutionary and economically difficult for the hospitality industry in general because capturing international markets and their clients took a couple or three years to begin consolidating.
The constant trips of the commercial teams belonging to large hotels promoting their establishments both in specialized travel agencies and companies across much of the world, together with attendance at international tourism fairs, individually or as part of stands in the tourism delegations of each capital, achieved an introduction into the promoted markets whose sales results were energetic and fast-paced.
The creation of “Convention Bureaus” in the different Spanish cities was decisive in being able to offer an overall image of accommodation and complete services in each Spanish City… to each of the large organizing committees of world congresses.
A period in which Spain knew how to position itself at the forefront in this specialization of MICE offerings… Hotels, venues, Congress Palaces, all of them modern, newly built, mostly with large capacity and quality with an excellent and competitive quality-price ratio… completed the success.
They were energetic, fast-paced, and difficult years for many investors until international tourism markets definitively set their sights on Spain for organizing their events… The expected and desired “site inspections” were constantly received, in which the delegations of prospective clients put us to the test… our infrastructure as a city… hotels, venues, Congress Palaces, fairs, transport… which, with great variety, quantity in capacity, quality, formed an unbeatable offer that, together with very competitive price rates, made us the “first choice” as a European destination.
That was our legacy… in a decade we placed the MICE market in Spain in unbeatable conditions of positioning and growth with constant promotions and direct sales actions until the definitive arrival of websites on the internet around the year 2000…
José Aleixandre Caballero
Technical Director Consultant of Tourism Companies and Activities.
