New Delhi, December 2023.

The recent and re-sounding success of India's G20 presidency has sparked tremendous interest in India globally. Not only did India take centre stage, but India Tourism too gained on account of the presidency which saw delegates from Member countries visit India over the period of more than a year. The presidency coming at an opportune post covid time promoted India as a safe destination and built traveller confidence like no other means could have. About 200 meetings were organised in 56 cities across the country. These meetings showcased not just India’s rich ancient heritage but also the country’s modern infrastructure including its MICE capabilities, to the world.

The Presidency has provided an excellent launch pad for tourism campaigns and the Ministry has been quick to capitalise on the same . “Meet in India” targets events, both national and international and  “I Do” campaign aims to promote India as a “wedding destination .Both will provide further impetus to MICE business and strengthen India’s positioning as a destination for meeting, incentives,conferences and events including weddings. In addition to constituting an India MICE Board under the chairmanship of Secretary (Tourism) government of India, guidelines have been formulated for promotion of MICE in India a big way. In the spirit of public private partnerships in the development of India tourism, the ministry also organised the first of its kinds Industry Roundtable on MICE at the BharatMandapam, New Delhi. The roundtable saw a meeting of minds of leaders , CEOs of tourism & hospitality organisations and senior government officials to discuss ideas for promoting India as a global MICE (Meetings,

Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) destination.

Hotel Association of India (HAI)  in a report  ‘VISION 2047 - Indian Hotel Industry -Challenges and the Road Ahead’ released  earlier  this year,  has highlighted that  India will emerge as one of the top MICE destinations. There are more than 1,300 star category hotels capable of being excellent venues for MICE along with 70+ convention centres.

HAI Members are significant stakeholders in India MICEce and have invested hugely in creating state of the art MICE facilities on hotel premises Dr. Jyotsana Suri, who is Chairperson and Managing Director of Bharat Hotels Limited and EC  Member, HAI  participated in the  roundtable and says, “India has less than 1 % share of MICE globally. This is the right time to promote India as top MICE and wedding destination.  Ministry Of Tourism is making efforts with campaigns including “Meet in India” and “I do”. India is ready to take on MICE all thanks to the infrastructure and efforts we made for G20. All in all the conference was very well attended by industry stake holders and we are ready to join hands with Government to make India a top global destination.”

The roundtable gave chance to industry leaders to come together and brainstorm the ways to attract tourists to India. Dr,. Suri further added, “There should be some tax benefits introduced and marketing should be done at greater levels.”

"Grateful for the enriching discussions at the Ministry of Tourism's MICE conference. A convergence of minds, ideas, and innovation, paving the way for a dynamic future in the realm of Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions. Together, let us chart the course for India's global prominence, creating unforgettable experiences and forging partnerships that transcend borders. Here's to the success of the conference and the promising journey that lies ahead!” says Mr. Rohit Arora, VP,North&Goa Ops & Head of Leisure Sales, for Apeejay Surrendra ‘s ,The Park Hotels that are a founding member of  HAI .He was also a  part of the discussions at the Roundtable.

“Following the G20, India has hosted a lot of tournaments, including the ICC Men's World Cup and many others. Events are taking place in outlying areas of the country such as Siliguri, Tripura, and the Northeast, and there  will undoubtedly a renewed  attention and interest in the region. We also hope that it would aid in the improvement of infrastructure in many of these areas and inspire States to develop more destinations along those routes.” Says MP Bezbaruah, Secretary General, HAI.