I N I N D I A

Introduction- what is mice tourism Importance and Requirements MICE Destinations in world India as emerging MICE destination MICE Destinations in India Challenges Conclusion

WHAT IS MICE?

M – MEETINGS

I - INCENTIVES

C - CONFERENCE

E - EXHIBITIONS

form of business tourism It is the fastest growing section of the

International tourism market is used to refer to a particular type of tourism

in which large groups, usually planned well in advance, are brought together for some particular purpose

 includes a well-planned agenda centered around a particular theme or topic, such as profession trade organization, a special interest group or an educational topic

blend of leisure and business

IMPORTANCE economic growth of the region as a whole gets a

boost. development of better infrastructure, mainly in

transportation, accommodation and air services. the elements of relaxation, shopping and sightseeing

are usually included in MICE trips. Hence, most MICE travellers can be converted into leisure travellers who would spend money on sightseeing and shopping.

it is quite common for delegates to bring along a companion. Thus, MICE tourism is a powerful revenue earner and the foreign exchange generated goes straight to the core of the region’s economy, ultimately generating income for other parts of the country.

MICE events increase awareness of the host country, create employment and income.

MICE tourism strengthens the brand value and profile of the country as an international tourist destination.

REQUIREMENTS Efficient transport network,

connections and airport arrival processes

Proximity of MICE facilities to airport and public transport facilities

Hotels with good MICE facilities (conference and meeting rooms)

Cultural attractions in the city (theatre, churches, museum)

Shopping (souvenirs, fashion, local delicacies, handicrafts ) ,Sightseeing and excursions in the MICE environment

INDIA – EMERGING DESTINATION FOR MICE

New trend of tourism in India India is fast gaining its pace in the

competition to become an ideal MICE destination.

With the advanced technology and facilities, warm hospitality, personalized services coupled with immense natural beauty and rich cultural heritage, the goal seems to be not very far

India is undoubtedly a unique conference destination as it offers exotic holidays which can be combined with International business trips.

India has truly arrived on the MICE scene with the opening of the world class conference and convention centres

In terms of infrastructure, India provides an impressive combination of accommodation and other conference support facilities to hold a successful Conference

new centers of information technology, many new convention centres, hotels and meeting facilities

India is combination of old world charm and tradition interlaced with modern cosmopolitan sophistication.

elaborate network of surface transportation system India offers an educated manpower base where

fluency in English and other official international languages can be expected

The India Convention Promotion Bureau (ICPB) sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism, the Government of India aims at promoting India as a competent and credible MICE destination.

According to the ICCA, India is 27th in the global meetings market.

The Indian inbound MICE segment is growing at the rate of 15 to 29% annually.

The conventions/conference market is estimated at Rs. 4,000-5,500 Crores annually

Automobile industry, IT sector, Pharmacuritical companies, Textile, Publishing House, Doctors, Engineering companies etc. are major user of the convention and conference facilities In India

Fashion brands are now leading the way to launch their brands where increasingly affluent people (from India and neighbouring countries are participating) for new products experience & updating on current fashions.

With the health tourism sector in India growing, lot of Medical & Pharmaceutical health related conventions are now taking place in India.. 

DELHI

The capital city New Delhi has been the favourite MICE destination for quite some time. The numerous charm of the city varies from ancient monuments to excellent shopping options making the business meeting and conference here an absolute pleasure. The Ashok, New Delhi, has been hosting meetings and conventions on the international scale for more than four decades. Spread over 16,435 sq ft, the pillar-less Convention Hall at The Ashok is a favourite venue for the top businessmen and government officials. Other business meeting venues of the capital are the Habitat World Convention Centre, Vigyan Bhawan and a number of hotels with excellent convention facilities including Taj Palace, Maurya Sheraton, Le Meridien, etc.

THE ASHOK HOTEL

VIGYAN BHAVAN THE TAJ PALACE

NOIDA

Situated on the outskirt of New Delhi, Noida is fast growing as one of the most modern cities of India. The city flaunts a number of venues catering multiple opportunities of business tourism. The Delhi International Expo Centre is a smart venue to hold exhibitions, conferences, seminars and banquets. The infrastructure here is able to hold exhibitions across 1,500 to 10,000 sq mts of area and banquets for 25 to 5000 people. India Expo Centre in Greater Noida is another centre offering an impressive international business environment ideal for product launches, seminars, dealer meets, exhibitions and corporate functions. The excellent golf course in the vicinity of the centre is there to give the guests a refreshing escape from the meetings and conferences.

HYDERABAD The pearl city Hyderabad is fast

becoming an information and technology hub of India. Studded with numerous heritage monuments, the heritage city Hyderabad has come up with a sophisticated business venue, Hyderabad International Convention Centre – HICC. The lavish HICC is able to meet the requirements of a convention of 5000, a seminar for 500 or a meeting of 50. The HICC is spread over 15 acres of landscape area and has a pillar-free hall measuring 6,480 sq mts, which can be partitioned into six halls. The centre has already hosted a number of prestigious international and national meets in a short period of time and has been appreciated by the organizers

COCHIN Rich with the lustrous beaches and emerald backwaters,

Kerala is an ideal leisure destination. After fascinating the whole world with its breathtaking beauty, Kerala now finds itself as an inevitable destination in the business tourism itinerary. Le Meridien, Cochin boasts of a number of well equipped conference and banquet halls. Ayurveda is the major attraction here amongst the business delegates and their family. Jewish Synagogue and Dutch Palace are the other attractions of Cochin.

CHENNAI

The amalgam of the ancient heritage and natural beauty makes Chennai a prime tourist destination in the country. A walk in the long stretches of Marina Beach offers an unforgettable experience. Now, the Tamil Nadu government has come up with the Chennai Convention Centre (CCC) to promote the world-class business tourism. The CCC has a banquet space ranging from 250 sq ft to 20,000 sq ft holding 22 to 2000 delegates at a time. The 67,000 sq ft of air-conditioned space and 75,000 sq ft of lawns offer plenty of space for conventions and other events.

AGRA The city of the Taj, Agra famous for its splendorous Mughal

architecture, Taj Mahal, gives an excellent chance to turn the business tour to an ideal heritage tour. The Jaypee Palace Hotel and Convention Centre has some nice arrangement to hold conventions, conferences and meetings. The convention centre can comfortably cater to 1500 delegates whereas equipped with the state-of-the-art facilities, such as audio-visual recording, satellite uplink and multi lingual interpretation.

BHUBANESHWAR

Bhubaneshwar in Orissa State, Swosti Travels have developed a brand new Convention Centre with State of art facilities. They are keeping an eye on the Korean & Japan business partners who have made investments in Orissa. They will be keen to host their out of country board meeting or conventions at their convention centres.

MUMBAI Mumbai is also a key business hub and home to a number

of national and international companies’ regional headquarters, such as Aditya Birla Group and Reliance Industries.

The city is well equipped with business hotels and convention centres to cater to business tourists.

The US and UK lead business arrivals in Mumbai. Leisure arrivals to Mumbai are driven by the tourist

attractions available in the Mumbai and Aurangabad circle. These range from heritage sites, including the Ellora caves, to religious sites, such as Shirdi.

Mumbai is also popular for shopping, with a number of shopping malls in the city, where many major fashion, electronics and other brands are found. South Mumbai, including Colaba, is well known for street shopping and therefore attracts leisure tourists.

BANGALORE

Knowledge Hub with the best Management, IT and research institution in Science & technology

Global R & D centre in Aerospace, Defence, IT

Good Local Audience for conventions of any sector

Cosmopolitan city – English is a popular language

Excellent tourist attraction whether it is heritage, beaches, cuisine, culture, architecture, wildlife, adventure, religious

World – class Hotels & Service Apartments, alternative accommodation options

BANGALORE CONVENTION CENTRE

CHALLENGES

First and foremost, lack of proper infrastructure discourages every visitor. Lack of proper transport and housing/lodging facilities in and around several of the prime heritage spots in India is a major hurdle. The complete lack of good restaurants and hotels at tourist places other than the Metropolitan cities in India is a major issue as the foreigners find it very hard to relate to the so-proclaimed “safe overnight stoppages”.

Availability of skilled manpower is one of the major challenges faced by the travel and tourism industry. To sustain growth in the MICE tourism industry, trained manpower/workforce is required at every level — managerial, supervisory, skilled or semi-skilled.

Travel & tourism is a high taxed industry, which makes India expensive as a MICE tourist destination. Inbound tourism is most adversely affected by the tax structure. Taxes including service tax, luxury tax, entertainment tax, sale tax ,taxes on transportation and aviation turbine fuel are levied across the sector-on tour operators, transporters, airline industry, hotels etc. In addition, these tax rates tend to vary across different states in the country.

CONCLUSION

PROMOTING MICE TOURISM: Need of the Hour