India's MICE tourism less than 1% of global convention business
Despite striving to improve its infrastructure for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE), India holds less than one percent of the world's share in this growing industry, IANS reported, citing a recent report by a high-level Parliamentary committee. The panel reportedly blamed the country's lack of focus on MICE tourism, the absence of a system for capturing event information and preparing winning bids, the high tax structure and costs, and the lack of standardized processes and services for this trend.
Why does this story matter?
The convention industry is significant because it can improve a city's reputation and visibility. As such, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a huge MICE infrastructure named "YashoBhoomi" in the national capital recently. The G20 Summit was also held at the newly built state-of-the-art convention center "Bharat Mandapam" in Delhi's Pragati Maidan. According to the central government, Bharat Mandapam and YashoBhoomi have been created as prime infrastructures for promoting MICE in the country.
Lack of city convention bureaus in India
According to IANS, the Parliamentary panel noted that successful international cities typically have convention bureaus to market and support organizations hosting events; however, India lacks city convention bureaus. The committee recommended that the Centre ensure MICE promotion bureaus are established in six identified cities within a targeted time frame to market and showcase these destinations as ideal locations for hosting business events and activities.
Need for more quality hotel rooms, air connectivity
Moreover, the panel pointed out that there are approximately 80,000 four-star and five-star hotel rooms in approved hotels in India, a relatively small number for a country of its size. To achieve the goals of MICE tourism, the committee suggested increasing the number of four and five-star category hotel rooms in the country. Lastly, it recommended that the government coordinate with the Ministry of Civil Aviation to ensure that the identified cities for MICE destinations have strong international flight connections.
Parliamentary panel highlights poor international rankings
In the 2019 International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) ranking of countries, India ranked 28th with 158 meetings. Among the top 475 cities, only seven Indian cities made the list, with Delhi at the 75th position hosting 37 meetings, and Ahmedabad at the 424th position with four meetings. Even Goa, despite being one of India's top tourist destinations, ranked in the 307th position with just eight meetings.
