Emergence of MICE Tourism in India: Opportunities and Challenges

For the past few years, MICE (Meeting, Incentives, Conference and Events) tourism in India is gaining immense significance. As the foremost part of business tourism, it is a niche segment that is booming at a rapid pace and has abundant potential. According to the ICCA report, India is ranked 31 in global meeting market. India is expected to witness an impressive rise in this segment in the coming months. Within the country, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad are major MICE destinations that are witnessing the arrival of a pool of MICE travellers. 

Indeed, India has the potential to host world class conferences and meetings, thanks to the state-of-the-art infrastructure, accommodation, and conference facilities. The diverse culture of the country with its rich history reflected in the many tourist spots acts as an added incentive to travel business too. It forms an important component of the hospitality industry, with top hotel brands competing to position themselves as the top MICE destination in the country. New players are also emerging that are targeting this niche audience by addressing all their needs.

Travelling for business is an accumulation of meetings, conferences, business activities, exhibitions and these along with many other subsets form the basis of MICE tourism in India. Studies have revealed that an average MICE tourist spends double the amount of other tourist expenditures. The segment is one of the key drivers of travel and tourism industry. Hence, the need of the hour is to promote India as one of the most important MICE destination. However, MICE tourism in India is lagging due to various reasons. First, inadequate communications within the stakeholders of this segment is resulting in poor coordination and cooperation for a seamless implementation. Second, there is a need for increased connectivity and skilled manpower that can contribute to the segment’s growth in India. Third, the lack of well-defined policies and structures for the promotion of MICE tourism also needs to be considered. Furthermore, sustainable practices need to be adopted in the segment too for a holistic experience.

Source: Financial Express