Tag Archives: MICE

Urging the Government of India ahead of the upcoming Union Budget, Nitin Mittal, Coordinator South, NIMA, said, “The government of India should think of providing GST rebates or GST refunds to the MICE group or international tourists on shopping, if not then at least on the purchase of sustainable products like khadi, and Indian handicrafts.”

Anoop Kanuga, MC Member, TAAI, said, “The potential to host weddings in J&K is immense, primarily due to its scenic locations and cultural richness. To tap it, the govt can help support the MICE community by improving infrastructure, strengthening security and offering subsidies to attract event organisers and agents to host weddings and MICE tourism events in the region.”

The 10th Travel MICE & Corporate Show concluded at the Hyderabad Marriott Convention Centre from 6-7 July in the City of Pearls. Around 2300 B2B meetings were held across two days with around 33 exhibitors and 72 buyers. The theme of this year’s event was sustainability, with dignitaries sharing insights on how to develop sustainable travel programmes.

Speaking about MICE, Suman Billa, Additional Secretary, Tourism, said, “It is a big opportunity and there is a need to bring the biggest conferences of the world here, to show the size of India’s offerings. With world-class conferencing infrastructure like Bharat Mandapam, we need to look at how we can utilise those to get more conferences in India.”

HRAWI presented inputs for curating the Maharashtra Convention Promotion Bureau to Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), a council to promote the state as an attractive and suitable location for hosting conferences, conventions, and business events, considering that events boost economic development and accelerate tourism in the state.

Naveen Kundu, MD, EbixCash Travel, said, “The size of the MICE market is about 30 million today, including domestic and international. Therefore, there is a huge potential for the organised M!CE industry to come together, collaborate, innovate, and then handle the entire mammoth business that is coming our way.”

Moscow City Tourism Committee will host the BRICS+ Tourism Forum from 20 to 21 June this year, in Moscow. They expect to welcome 9 tourism ministers and 18 delegations from countries from the Middle East and South East Asia with over 300 delegates. It was revealed at the conference ‘Shaping the MICE Future,’ held recently.  

“NIMA Members and other M!CE operators sitting in tier II, III cities are contributing a lot to the M!CE business. Business from these cities has increased by 15 – 20 per cent as compared to 2022 – 2023,” says Gajesh Girdhar, Founder & National Coordinator, NIMA (Network of Indian M!CE Agents).

Ranjana Sharma, Managing Director, Trav n Tours International (TNTI) said, “River cruises is gaining popularity nowadays. While the other major cruises are primarily for summer seasons, river cruises cater more to niche markets. Additionally, emerging trends include Scandinavia experiencing a strong emergence, ski resorts gaining popularity, and an increase in M!CE groups considering cruises for hosting events. Indeed, many M!CE events are taking place on cruises due to their all-inclusive nature and convenience for organizers. However, river cruises are more geared towards the leisure market.”

MOT has launched ‘Meet in India’, a distinct sub-brand under ‘Incredible India’ to position the country as a M!CE destination. This was shared during India’s participation at AIME 2024. It will highlight exclusive features: excellent connectivity, world-class infrastructure, a knowledge hub, and unique tourist attractions.