To accelerate wedding tourism in Rajasthan, the state tourism department has announced to provide the luxury train, Palace on Wheels, for destination weddings. It will be available for pre and post-wedding shoots. This will increase revenue for the train and will create new opportunities in the tourism sector.

Noor Ahmad Hamid, CEO, PATA highlights India’s unparalleled aircraft acquisition spree, with the country poised to witness the delivery of nearly three new aircraft per week over the next four years. This surge, coupled with initiatives like Air India’s restructuring, will enhance India’s competitiveness in the region.

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.

“To maximize the benefit, TAT divides the allotted incentive budget for the MICE group into tier II and tier III cities along with tier I cities,” Siriges-A-Nong Trirattanasongpol, Director, Tourism Authority of Thailand, responded when asked about the initiatives Thailand is taking to attract MICE groups to the country.

As per ICRA, Indian hotel industry is expected to witness a 7-9 per cent revenue growth by the year 2025. The domestic leisure travel, demand from meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (M!CE), including weddings and business travel are likely to drive demand for occupancy.

Manisha Saxena, DG, Tourism, said that under the MICE Tourism Policy, the Ministry of Tourism is working to develop city-level bureaus to promote venues internationally and for events of every size to be hosted in India. This initiative is expected to escalate inbound tourism in India and will attract more M!CE events.

Björn Bender, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman, Rail Europe, highlighted during his visit to India, stating, “In 2023, India has become our second largest source market after the US. We saw a 65 per cent recovery from India in 2022, and currently, the company is growing at 75 per cent of pre-2019 levels.”

Speaking at an event, Manisha Saxena, DG Tourism, Government of India, shared, “While high room rates in India may be prompting some weddings to move abroad, it’s crucial to offer venues that cater to various budgets and preferences. While five-star hotels are ideal for large weddings, affordability remains a consideration for many.”

Addressing the dignitaries and alumni at IHM, Mumbai, Amitabh Kant, G-20 India Sherpa, said, “With India set to become the world’s third-largest economy by 2027, there will be a surge in Indian travellers globally, leading to more opportunities and responsibilities for the hospitality sector.”

IHCL gears up to open a minimum of two hotels per month, aiming to add 85 more hotels overall. “There may be new construction projects that we’re not yet aware of. Hence, we anticipate being in a favorable position to continue opening a minimum of two hotels per month”, said Puneet Chhatwal, MD & CEO, IHCL.