Zentropy MICE: Innovation in sustainable meetings tourism in Valencia
The project will contribute to making Valencia a benchmark in meeting tourism with a positive impact
Valencia, located on the east coast of Spain by the Mediterranean Sea and the country's third most populous city, has launched the European Zentropy MICE project, an initiative to move congress tourism towards a more sustainable model. This plan will be developed at the Valencia Convention Center over the next four years, with the aim of promoting socioeconomic development and the city's green transition. Valencia was chosen - along with 21 other cities, out of 112 that applied - by the European Commission to deploy the Zentropy MICE initiative, framed within the second EUI call, which finances innovative projects for urban challenges. This project will have a budget of 5.25 million euros, 80% co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Coordinated by the Valencia City Council, Zentropy MICE has the collaboration of six entities: the City Council itself, the Palacio de Congresos, Valencia Innovation Capital, the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, the Visit Valencia Foundation and Khora Urban Thinkers. The project is part of the Valencia Innovation Capital strategy, which aims to position the city as a hub of technological innovation in the Mediterranean.
Among the planned actions are the improvement of the energy efficiency of the Palacio de Congresos, the promotion of sustainable mobility, the offer of organic food and the implementation of green infrastructure and circular economy. In addition, a mobile application will be developed and economic and knowledge alliances will be established to promote sustainability in the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) sector. The project is important, among other things, because congress tourism represents a quarter of the city's tourism volume. The Palacio de Congresos de Valencia is recognized as one of the best MICE centers in the world and is the ideal place to experiment and establish a sustainable meetings tourism model that will serve as an international benchmark. Valencia, which combines modernity and tradition with its emblematic City of the Arts and vibrant festivals such as the Fallas, will reinforce its commitment to sustainability and innovation in tourism with the implementation of Zentropy MICE.
