Mozambique has made its first-ever appearance at IMEX Frankfurt, using the global meetings industry marketplace to signal its formal entry into the international MICE arena and to begin laying the foundations for a national convention bureau.
Speaking to Africa Meets at the ongoing IMEX Frankfurt 2026, Fredson Bacar, Secretary of State for Tourism, said the country’s participation marked a strategic turning point as Mozambique prepares to operationalise a newly developed national MICE strategy.
“This is the very first time that Mozambique is participating in this mega-event for the MICE industry,” Bacar said. “Our main objective is to establish critical linkages for our new proposals.”
According to the Secretary of State, Mozambique’s national MICE strategy has already been completed and is expected to receive formal government approval next month. Once approved, the country will move to officially establish its first Convention Bureau – a process that is already underway.
A Convention Bureau in motion
Bacar confirmed that preparatory work has begun, including stakeholder engagement, capacity building and technical training across both the public and private sectors.
“We are working closely with consultants and involving a wide range of stakeholders – hotel owners, general managers, technology providers and other private sector players,” he said. “The Convention Bureau will be the lead institution integrating all these actors.”
Mozambique has also taken an important institutional step by registering as a member of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), enabling the country to access global data, expertise and networks while identifying the types of international meetings best suited to its destinations.
With that framework taking shape, Bacar said IMEX Frankfurt was proving invaluable as a learning and relationship-building platform.
“IMEX allows us to acquire knowledge from different sectors and learn from countries with extensive experience in this industry,” he noted.
Building African and global partnerships
During the first two days of the show, Mozambique’s delegation has already held meetings with several established convention bureaus, including those from Portugal, Uganda, South Africa, Rwanda and Brazil. These engagements are now translating into concrete cooperation plans.
“We are preparing proposals for Memorandums of Understanding with Uganda and Rwanda,” Bacar revealed. “We already have a tourism development agreement with Rwanda, so our immediate focus is on elaborating the specific action plans to bring that agreement to life.”
The emphasis on partnerships reflects Mozambique’s intention to grow its business events sector through regional and South–South collaboration, rather than competing in isolation.
“Our presence here opens minds, creates stronger destination awareness and lets the global market know that Mozambique is officially open for business events,” he said.
Events already secured
While the Convention Bureau is still being finalised, Mozambique has already secured several major meetings that will anchor its early MICE pipeline.
In September 2026, the country will co-host a high-level technology summit in partnership with Rwanda, focused on emerging and high-tech sectors. In 2027, Mozambique is set to collaborate with Portugal on a major congress for travel and tourism agency associations.
Beyond association meetings, the government is also targeting corporate events, particularly those linked to Mozambique’s growing oil and gas sector.
“We are starting discussions with major corporations connected to oil and gas,” Bacar said. “We want to build a specialised structure to attract niche corporate events because we believe the MICE industry will generate significant economic returns for the country.”
FICANI set for October relaunch
The Secretary of State also confirmed that Mozambique’s flagship domestic tourism expo, FICANI, will take place in October this year, with a fundamentally new model.
“We are completely changing the vision behind FICANI,” he said. “It will no longer be an event organised strictly by the government.”
Under the new approach, the private sector will take the lead in organising, promoting and delivering the event, while the government shifts into a regulatory and enabling role – a move aligned with global best practice for business events.
“This is a business event, so the promotional and organisational execution belongs in the hands of the private sector,” Bacar added.
As IMEX Frankfurt continues, Mozambique’s debut appearance is being closely watched as another example of an African destination moving deliberately from strategy to structure – and from aspiration to action – in the global meetings industry.
