Aug 2019

Rs. 125

Showcasing The World of Business Tourism

M I C E

Showcase August 2019

Vol. 1

Issue. 1

“MICE business in India is poised to grow, buoyed by recent initiatives by the Ministry of Tourism because of the rising economic importance of the region, India's sterling performance in areas of IT, Biotechnology, Medicine as well as Manufacturing have made it emerge as a bright economic hot-spot.�

Chander Mansharamani Vice Chairman, India Convention Promotion Bureau

EXHIBITION & CONVENTION CENTER

Hall No. 1 – 4500 sqm Hall No. 2 – 4500 sqm

Centrally air-condi oned exhibi on halls Strong flooring with load bearing capacity of 10 MT/sqm Clear height of 20 meter in exhibi on halls Mul ple Entry/Exit points offering flexibility in layout designing Each hall has Organizers office, Media rooms, Lounges, Registra on blocks, etc.

Addi onal office block & cafeteria located on first floor of each hall Mul ple cargo entry points for loaded trucks to enter halls Wi-Fi and CCTV Surveillance enabled complex with ample parking inside and around the venue

Visitor li s at various loca ons for accessing upper floors Numerous business hotels in close vicinity

It fills my heart with immense joy and pride as I extend to you all, our first ever edi on of MICE Showcase- a dedicated monthly magazine to serve the MICE industry and business tourism in India. Blessed with a rich heritage, diverse & serene geography coupled by the rapidly growing business economy, India is all poised to become the major MICE hub not only in the region, but in the Asia as a whole. Over the past few years, the business tourism in India is witnessing a constant upward trajectory, with over 10 million business tourists arriving in India, according to a recent study of World Economic Forum(WEF).

Editor ‘s Note

th

India has also significantly improved by making a sharp stride to 40 rank in the Travel and Tourism Compe veness Index of WEF. With the fast evolving lifestyle and increasing dimensions of business, the boundaries between work and life are ge ng blurred day by day, giving a rise to the new terminology- Bleisure travel : Business travel + Leisure travel.

This is allowing execu ves to transform the world of business tourism and the future of hospitality sector.

In this issue, you will find some interes ng perspec ves and informa ve interviews. Glance through them and do share your views and feedback at connect@miceshowcase.com .

Happy reading!

CONTENT 6-9

Quick News

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TAT Mumbai Hosts ASEAN-Indian Film Fes val

47

Sky Is The Limit As TCEB Works To Stage 'Thailand Interna onal Airshow'

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19

Passenger Vehicle Retail Sales Tumble 11% To 2,43,183 Units In July: FADA

Incredible India Road Show in US to A ract Tourists

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Indian MICE Industry, Pegged At Rs 25,000 Crore, Has Huge Appe te For Growth’

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26-27

MICE Is Not An Industry, It Is An Economic Ac vity

MICE Showcase Talks To Amaresh Tiwari, MD, A.t. Seasons & Vaca ons Travel Pvt. Ltd.

MICE Showcase Talks To Prasant Saha, Chief Execu ve Officer, CimGlobal

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Sri Lanka Appealed To Online Travel Agencies To Cut Commissions To Help Revive Tourism

India To Generate More Than 2 Million Outbound Mice Tourists By 2020

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Event Calender

Quick Bytes Andhra Bags 'Best State For Religious Tourism & Best State For MICE' Awards In Travel Mart

FICCI To Boost Growth In Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Congratulated Government For The Move

The three-day India Interna onal Travel Mart (IITM) organised at Bengaluru concluded successfully, with Andhra Pradesh adding two awards to it's tally - Best State for Religious Tourism and Best State for MICE (mee ngs, incen ves, conferences and exhibi ons). Day 1 of the event witnessed as many as 1000 enquiries regarding tourism opportuni es at Tirupa while Visakhapatnam found favour with corporates searching for an off-beat des na on to conduct business conferences. “The corporates wanted an alterna ve off-beat des na on in India apart from Goa and thus we handed our own offering on a pla er to them. As they showed interest in Visakhapatnam, numerous inquiries followed suit,” said Andhra Pradesh Tourism Authority (APTA) CEO and Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corpora on (APTDC) Managing Director (MD) Pravin Kumar. “Andhra Pradesh is one of the partner states of IITM whose objec ve is to provide opportuni es for professionals from the tourism industry to meet and showcase a diverse range of des na ons and industry sectors to Indian and interna onal travel professionals. This is an arena for people to meet, network, nego ate and conduct business,” added the APTA CEO. IITM was inaugurated by Andhra Pradesh Tourism and Culture department, principal secretary Praveen Kumar and APTDC MD Pravin Kumar.

A er revoking of Ar cle 370 in J&K which bifurcated the state into two Union Territories Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) and Ladakh, FICCI (Federa on of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) announced that it will boost industrial growth in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh region. The federa on congratulated the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for their unflinching resolve towards growth of Jammu & Kashmir. “We expect this move will bring in greater stability and improved governance in the region, which will support fresh investments,” said Sandip Somany, President, FICCI. FICCI is already working to promote areas like tourism; food processing and skill development in J&K and the chamber will not only enhance the level of ac vi es in these areas going ahead, but also expand its domain to new sectors which are looking at openings in the two UTs. We will support and bolster all the ini a ves taken by the government for the industrial development of the two Union Territories and will also play a major role in channelizing fresh investments in J&K and Ladakh,” added Somany. Hor culture and Floriculture, Hydro-power, Informa on Technology and IT enabled services are some of the areas where J&K can a ract big investments.

ICPB Partners With Goa Tourism To Organise MICE Seminar

Liberalised Visa Norms Now To Ease Foreign Na onals' Entry

The Regional Office Maharashtra of India Conven on Promo on Bureau (ICPB) in collabora on w i t h G o a To u r i s m re c e nt l y organised an Interac ve MICE Seminar to deliberate on how Goa can be promoted as a MICE des na on. The session was moderated by the Vice Chairman – ICPB. The discussion covered various topics like; Incen ve and Ini a ve by State Govt. to promote Goa as a MICE des na on; Role of Tourism Ministry, Govt. of India in promo on of MICE in Goa Execu ve Director ICPB presented the Role Bureaus can play in reposi oning Goa as a MICE des na on. The highlight of the Day's discussion was the Panel discussion – “Marke ng Hotels – Key Segment for MICE in Goa.” It was a very interac ve delibera on with panelists from various MICE segments, Incen ves, Exhibi ons and Conven on & Mee ng – discussing about the power of Incen ve, challenges for holding large conferences, mee ng design. The panel was represented by Amaresh Tiwari, Sanjay Soni and Amit Saroj from ICPB and also Gaurav Apte from Marrio Goa. The outcome of the delibera on was the strategies of a rac ng business event which is totally different from that of Leisure Market.

The home ministry has liberalised India's visa rules to simplify the entry of foreign na onals and give them greater flexibility in terms of permi ed ac vi es. The main visa categories, apart from those issued for long-term visits and to SAARC members and Overseas Ci zens of India, have been scaled down to 21 from 26 by clubbing common groupings. These include combining the medical a endant and medical visas, project and employment visas, internship and research with student visas and sports with business visas. The number of visa sub-categories has been cut to 65 from 104 by merging segments, the tourism ministry said in a le er to travel associa ons. According to the le er, amendments have been made in specific provisions in the visa manual to facilitate the entry and stay of legi mate visitors from overseas. “These include permi ng a foreign na onal on tourist visa to a end an interna onal conference, and expanding other ac vi es permi ed under tourist and e-tourist visas, permi ng a person of Indian origin, or spouse/children of an Indian ci zen to undertake employment or business or studies or research without conver ng the visa to the appropriate category and bringing the requirements for a film visa at par with the business visa,” it said.

06 | August | www.miceshowcase.com

Quick Bytes TCEB Increases Trade Opportunity With Thailand's First E-mice Marketplace "Thai MICE Connect"

Tourism Ministry To Woo Foreigners With Foreign Language Signboards, Slashed Visa Fees

Thailand Conven on & Exhibi on Bureau (TCEB) ventures to drive MICE industry 4.0 in Thailand with the country's first E-MICE marketplace to give more business opportuni es to MICE entrepreneurs through the pioneer project "Thai MICE Connect" into 3 regions; the central, the south and the northeast regions of Thailand in 2019. Mr. Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, President of TCEB states that MICE business is a vital pla orm that connects several different industries, from tourism to hotels and hospitality and logis cs. TCEB recently launched Thailand's central informa on system to benefit both the public and the private sectors, give more opportunity to MICE businesses all over Thailand. Thai MICE Connect is divided into two phases. The first phase commences in the fiscal year of 2019 in central Thailand, the south and the northeast. The la er begins in the fiscal year 2020 in the north and the east of Thailand. Thai MICE Connect: E-MICE Marketplace will be official and live launched on October 15. In 2019, TCEB looks to build database of at least 10,000 MICE entrepreneurs in central Thailand, the south and the northeast, and expand to cover the north and the east in 2020.

Eyeing 20 million foreign tourists by 2020, the ministry is planning to put up sign boards in at least three foreign languages at places like Sanchi Stupa in Madhya P ra d e s h , S a r n a t h i n U a r Pradesh and Bodh Gaya in Bihar which are visited frequently by large numbers of tourists from Sri Lanka, Japan and South Korea.

The ministry plans to put up sign languages in Sinhala, Japanese and Korean in these places. Apart from this, the ministry is also working extensively with the ministry of external affairs to shorten the e-visa format and reduce the visa fees which has been a concern for many foreign tourists. The sign boards which will feature QR codes, on scanning will provide detailed informa on about the monument, its history and other details in that par cular foreign language. “We are s ll in the ini al phase, as officials and I myself have been pondering upon the possibili es of the plan. But once approved, this will certainly help in boos ng up foreign tourists,” said Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Tourism. QR code (abbreviated from Quick Response Code) is the trademark for a type of matrix barcode first designed in 1994. A barcode is a machine-readable op cal label that contains informa on about the item to which it is a ached.

The Rising Income Of Indians Results In Increasing Outsta on Tours

IITians Develop New Concept To Woo Tourists

With more youngsters from India's 350-million-strong burgeoning middle-class planning interna onal vaca ons, the country's outbound tourism has registered a spectacular growth in the past five years. While traffic from India to Singapore, the United States, China, France, Hong Kong, Mauri us, Thailand and the United Kingdom has grown between 25 and 50 percent, that to Australia, Canada, Malaysia, the Maldives, the Netherlands, Oman, Russia and Turkey has also nearly doubled, thanks to a rising number of millennials with an increasing disposable income wan ng to travel overseas over the ho-hum domes c tourist places.

Even tourism related to corporate mee ngs, incen ves, conferences and exhibi ons (MICE) has been growing by leaps and bounds what with India being the largest source market for the MICE industry in nearby Singapore and Dubai. Speakers at the Annual Mice India & Luxury Travel (MILT) Congress held in Delhi revealed that India was expected to create two million MICE tourists in 2020, while the country's outbound MICE tourism market is es mated to reach US$9 billion by 2025. According to the latest research by Colliers Interna onal, a Canada-based global real estate company, Indian tourists are also among the world's highest spenders per visit made abroad.

Four IIT-Gandhinagar graduates have come up with a concept of sustainable tourism for the North East. Their start-up tled ‘Fancyland’ is working towards providing a tourism experience for all the travellers who visit the region. Bhaskar Saikia and Ashim Rajkonwar are instrumental in developing the concept which is aimed at wooing tourists to the region. They co-founded Fancyland with their batchmates Himanshu Chauhan and Yash Bohre during their Bachelors at IIT-Gandhinagar. Fancyland, uses a computer algorithm to generate the best suited trip. North East has much more to offer, people miss thousands of other ac vi es. Hundreds of tribes, their culture and food, their lifestyle and fes vals offer a great experience for the tourists. “This was the main mo va on which led me to the incep on of Fancyland,” Bhaskar Saikia, Cofounder and CEO, said while narra ng the development. Recently, Filza Piya Borah from Gohpur joined the team as a Content Developer. As of now, they are working via offline services and have got good feedback from the tourists. The online pla orm will be published soon. In the future, Fancyland aims to put North East on the global tourism map and make people see it for the gem that it is.

07 | August | www.miceshowcase.com

Quick Bytes Carins Conven on Centre Expansion, Addi onal Economic Benefits And Tourism Opportuni es

Jaipur Declared As A World Heritage Site By Unesco

Queensland Government's announcement of a $176 million upgrade of the award-winning Cairns Conven on Centre would deliver significant economic benefits to the Cairns economy over the next decade and beyond.

AEG Ogden Chairman and CEO, Harvey Lister said, “Not only will it enable the Centre to host addi onal events, it will enhance Cairns' standing as a world leader in business events and tourist des na on,” he said. The Centre, which has been operated by AEG Ogden since it opened in 1996 and twice named winner of the World's Best Congress Centre (2004 and 2014), will undergo a refurbishment of exis ng facili es and an expansion providing an addi onal 3,000 square metres of mee ng, banquet and exhibi on space, overlooking Trinity Inlet.” Work is due to commence in June 2020 with the refurbishment to be completed by November 2020 and expansion by 2021/22. “This expansion by Government will largely resolve those constraints, opening up addi onal economic benefits and tourism opportuni es for Cairns and Tropical North Queensland,” he said.

Mr. Lister said that ‘under General Manager, Janet Hamilton's leadership, the Centre was currently developing a sales and marke ng strategy focusing on na onal and interna onal clients par cularly in Europe, North America and the Asia Pacific region.’

The World Heritage Commi ee inscribed seven cultural sites, including the Pink City, Jaipur, on UNESCO's World Heritage List during the mee ng in Baku. The sites added to the list are situated in Australia, Bahrain, China, India, Indonesia, Japan and People's Democra c Republic of Lao. Jaipur is a popular tourist des na on in India and forms a part of the west Golden Triangle tourist circuit along with Delhi and Agra. It is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites – the Jantar Mantar and the Amer Fort. It also serves as a gateway to other tourist des na ons in Rajasthan such as Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Udaipur, Kota and Mount Abu. Visitor a rac ons include the Hawa Mahal, Jal Mahal, City Palace, Amer Fort, Jantar Mantar, Nahargarh Fort, Jaigarh Fort, Birla Mandir, Galtaji, Govind Dev Ji Temple, Garh Ganesh Temple, Mo Dungri Ganesh Temple, Sanghiji Jain temple and the Jaipur Zoo. Hawa Mahal is a five-storey pyramidal shaped monument with 953 windows that rises 15 metres from its high base. Sisodiya Rani Bagh and Kanak Vrindavan are the major parks in Jaipur. Raj Mandir is a notable cinema hall in Jaipur.

Taiwan Tourism Bureau To Raise Awareness Among Indian Travellers

IBTM Launches Show For Asia Pacific Market Reed Travel Exhibi ons Adds To Por olio

TTB has partnered with the Mumbai Metro, a rapid transit system serving the city of Mumbai, and the wider metropolitan region, to expand awareness of Taiwan as a des na on and promote tourism.

TTB has increased its marke ng budget for India by six-fold, taking it to US$1.2 million annually. Dr. Trust Lin, Director, Taiwan Tourism Bureau, Singapore Office, flagged off the train wrapped in colorful campaign images, on its maiden journey from the Versova Metro Sta on. Featuring photos of popular web-series stars, Sumeet Vyas and Sapna Pabbi on vaca on in Taiwan, the vibrant imagery highlights the great variety of holiday experiences offered by Taiwan, “The Heart of Asia,” as well as its rich history and scenic beauty. Sumeet Vyas's role in English Vinglish was loved by the Taiwanese audience and English Vinglish holds a box office record of being the 2nd highest grossing Bollywood movie in Taiwan. This special Mumbai Metro train ran from 1st August for a month, also in conjunc on with India's Independence Day. There will be a Taiwan Train for every 7 trains that stop by each sta on, reaching out to Mumbai Commuters at a high frequency.

IBTM, part of Reed Travel Exhibi ons, will launch IBTM Asia Pacific. The event will take place from April 6 to 8, 2020 in Singapore at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Conven on Centre and joins IBTM's exis ng por olio which includes IBTM World in Barcelona; IBTM Americas in Mexico City; IBTM China in Beijing; IBTM Arabia in the UAE and IBTM Africa, in Cape Town. Shane Hannam, Por olio Director, IBTM, commented: “It's a market we know very well, and our research has shown that there's genuine demand for a regionally focused event both from our exis ng customer base but also from the industry in general. It's an exci ng new addi on to the industry calendar not only for IBTM, but also for the wider business events market.” IBTM Asia Pacific will be helmed

by Event Manager Michael Jones, who has been with Reed Exhibi ons for almost six years. The marke ng and Hosted Buyer programme, which underpins the success of every IBTM event, will be managed by the experienced exis ng team based in Richmond, London, supported by Reed Exhibi on's teams in Singapore and Japan.

08 | August | www.miceshowcase.com

Quick Bytes Kerala Government Keen On Reviving MICE Tourism

Travel Agency Thomas Cook In Advanced Talks Over £150 Million Capital Injec on

Despite torren al rains affected a large part of kerala, the Kerala government is keen on promo ng the state as a mee ngs, incen ves, conferences and exhibi ons (MICE) des na on.

The government hopes that the 12th edi on of Conven ons India Conclave, a premier interna onal meet on MICE tourism, to be held at Kochi from August 29-31, will help in boos ng the MICE tourism.

The event organised by India Conven on Promo on Bureau (ICPB) supported by Tourism Department and Kerala tourism department, aims at promo ng the country as a global hub of conven ons and exhibi ons. Around 300-350 delegates are expected to a end the conclave. Over 30 interna onal buyers from USA, UK, Russia, Germany, Italy, France, Denmark, Turkey, Cyprus, Brazil, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Malaysia have confirmed par cipa on. Also, 100 domes c buyers and 70 exhibitors will be par cipa ng in the conclave. MICE tourism also brings in more revenue. The state tourism department will be forming ICPB- Kerala State Conven on Bureau which will enable Kerala to par cipate in bids for ge ng na onal and interna onal conven ons to Kerala and to promote Kerala MICE tourism opportuni es aggressively across the world.

Thomas Cook which used to be o n e o f t h e b i g g e s t t rav e l companies in the world, offering a ra n ge o f t ravel s er vices including Foreign Exchange, Interna onal and Domes c Holidays, Visa, Passport, Travel Insurance & MICE. Over the past few years, the company has fallen on hard mes. In the past few quarters, the travel company has struggled with capital issues, and that had completely pummelled the stock as well. However, it seems that the company seems to have turned a corner, considering the new developments that have come to the fore with regards to a capital raise. It has now emerged that the company is now in the final stages of nego a ons with noteholders in Thomas Cook for a capital injec on of £150 million.

The company announced that it is in advanced talks with regards to the capital raise. However that is not all, Thomas Cook is also nego a ng a rescue plan with its biggest shareholder, Fosun Tourism, over a package of £750 million. If both these capital raise nego a ons prove to be a success, then the company will have a considerable war chest that will allow them to navigate this period of chaos.

High Hopes For Travel Industry A er J&K's New Status

Inland Waterways System In The Rivers Of The Northeastern States To Boost Coastal Tourism

The industry is confident that Kashmir will emerge stronger a er the dust se les. In his address to the na on, The Prime Minister Narendra Modi said "Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh have the poten al to be the biggest tourist hubs of the world. There was a me when Kashmir was the favourite des na on of Bollywood filmmakers, I am confident that in future even interna onal films will be shot there.” A er the parliament significantly diluted the ar cle 370 of the Cons tu on, all eyes are on how the ground reali es will shape up. While the paramilitary forces have been pressed into ac on in order to avoid any untoward incident, along with a digital blackout in some extremely sensi ve areas to curb fake news, ordinary ci zens are wai ng for life to return to normal.

Even as the Valley, which is on high-alert right now, limps back to normalcy. The travel industry is op mis c that the monumental decision will boost tourism and economy, and generate employment. Industry representa ves, drawing a parallel to the Pulwama strike a er which J&K tourist foo all had seen a downward trend, believe that Kashmir will emerge stronger a er the dust se les, and normalcy will be restored in public life.

In a bid to boost tourism in the country, Ministry of Shipping (MoS) is planning to start inland waterways naviga on and passenger transporta on system in the rivers of the northeastern states of India. Public sector company WAPCOS has been roped in to prepare a model Detailed Project Report (DPR) for implemen ng the running of low-cost ferry services in these states.

There’s immense poten al for mari me tourism, and concurrently the need to promote important tourist des na ons in the coastal areas of the country. The scope to explore avenues for coastal tourism in the country is vast; the possibili es in the areas of coastal tourism, cruise tourism, sea sports and lighthouse viewing gallery are endless. Ac vi es like beach volleyball, sand art, food fes val, and fes vals of the fishing community will contribute to tourist engagement. The government has already started developing the country’s first na onal waterway along river Ganga from Haldia to Varanasi. While it’s being speculated that the inland waterway will be a game-changer for the northeastern states, these efforts are in tune with the Ministry of Shipping’s plan to promote mari me tourism under the government’s Sagarmala programme.

09 | August | www.miceshowcase.com

INDUSTRY IN PICTURES FROM THE WORLD

Ahead of #IndependenceDay Union Minister @PrakashJavdekar launches #Watan, a song that celebrates #NewIndia, produced by #Doordarshan.

RenewableenergyindiaMeet the Creators and Innovators at the Renewable Energy Expo 2019 at @IndiaExpoCentre .We welcome our key partners and exhibitors. They are one of the largest, experienced and most innovative RE brands in the world. #JinkoSolar #GinlongSolis #Swelect #EMMVEE #Cybrid.

#EEMAXGlobalAwards2019 brought together leaders and learners from across the nation to celebrate, cherish and commemorate our biggest successes on a night dedicated solely to Events, Entertainment and Experiential!

Congratulations to all the winners!

@ITCHotels Aug 5More#WelcomhotelTheSavoy, Mussoorie, was honoured to host India's rst #Himalayan State Conclave, to exchange ideas and discuss the matters of the 11 Himalayan states.

Avail excluisve #Distinctively Abled Package at #The Ashok- Proud winner of #National Tourism Award for #Hotel Providing Best Facilities for #Differently Abled Guests & #Hotel Samrat which is ever caring towards travellers with different needs.

@PiyushGoyal Railways has introduced a biometric-based token system to make travel in general class hassle free. This is expected to make the system more effective and efcient.

The IHF @IHFcomms Great to see Ireland win ‘most promising overseas destination’ at the V-Inuence Summit in China presented to @Tourism Ireland. Ireland’s global reputation as a visitor destination continues to rise. Via @rtenews

Air India will start using the polar routes for it's Delhi - San Francisco ights from August 15.Will cut down ight time by around 30 minutes & save upto two tonnes of fuel.The pilots & crew who will operate rst polar route ight at Mumbai. @airindiain @ySFO

Want to be McLaren Shadow team's next esports star? Online qualiers for the "Race to Singapore" live event happening on 19 Sep 2019 are now open!

10 | August | www.miceshowcase.com

OF FACEBOOK & TWITTER

Sri Lanka, now renowned as the Best Island in the World has found a new coral reef in the northern province of Kankasanturai. #SoSriLanka #SriLanka #visitsrilanka #NewCoral #Best Place.

@dubaitourism First #AI-themed café set to open in #Dubai soon http://bit.ly/2KzEvEU #articialintelligence #tourism

Welcome to our newest member, @GermanyTourism. The German National Tourist Board works on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) to represent Germany as a travel destination.

The oor set up at WTMA19 was so amazing, vibrant and colourful. We used pin drops for every section that was devided up into countries and had user friendly oor maps to take you on your travel journey. #Ideasarrivehere #Reedsexhibitionsa #RedLipPR #CapeTown #WTMA20 #Pindrops

With our mission to bring the entire MICE Industry to one platform with the objective to grow, network and learn, alongside industries inuencers and stakeholders, we are stepping towards the 12th edition of Conventions India Conclave along with our Valued Sponsor @KeralaTourism

India’s travel and tourism industry generated US$91 Bn last year and is projected to double over the next decade. Invest in opportunities in tourism in #IncredibleIndia and #GrowWithIndia!

Heading to IMEX America 2019 next month?

Be sure to make an appointment to see Business Events Australia @MeetinAustralia and our 30 industry partners on stand B4031

The Nehru Trophy Boat Race held on the second Saturday of August every year is perhaps the most popular of all the boat races. Besides the race, there are ceremonial processions, decorated boats, and spectacular oats, to add to the attraction.

Grand Salute to Col Dr. Vikram Singh Grewal. So proud to be associated with this worthy cause. #LetsIndiGo #KargilBookLaunch, IndiGo added

11 | August | www.miceshowcase.com

News From Acr ss JAMAICA The MICE department at Jamaica Tourist Board is embarking on a new campaign to engage top North American planners.

With an abundance of hotels, a rac ons, off-site venues and professional des na on management companies, the island is ideally posi oned. On August 19-20, the team has launched its Spirit of Jamaica roadshow series in Toronto and Montreal, before con nuing October 21-23 in Washington, DC, Peapack, NJ, and New York City, where they will meet over 250 planners.

Colombia The annual rankings by the Interna onal Congress and Conven on Associa on (ICCA) revealed that Colombia is included in the top 30 countries who host interna onal congresses. Last year, Colombia hosted 147 events, ranking 29th, above Russia, New Zealand, Chile, and South Africa, among others. The list called ICCA Sta s cs Report Country & City Rankings, includes 165 na ons, demonstra ng C o l o m b i a ’s c a p a b i l i t y a n d compe ve advantages in mee ngs tourism.

12 | August | www.miceshowcase.com

South Africa The con nental representa ves of the tourism and hospitality sector will converge on Durban’s Interna onal Conven on Centre for the 2nd annual African Tourism Leadership Forum. Scheduled from 27-29 August 2019, the Forum will be held under the theme, “S mula ng intra-Africa travel through thought leadership.” Brought to you by South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government, and African Tourism Partners, the event will host 30 world-renowned global industry experts, speakers, business leaders, ministers, policy makers, and over 300 delegates from over 30 countries.

The W rld Russia New rules could grant Russian authori es the power to ground interna onal flights if Russian airlines fail to provide personal informa on about passengers or if they pose a “security threat.” Federal Security Service (FSB) has been seeking to ghten regula ons governing interna onal flights for the past three years. The regula on is currently undergoing public debates. If approved, the measures could be introduced next year.

Hong Kong Hong Kong’s tourism industry is going through a period of uncertainty and disquiet as poli cal protests entered the eighth week without any signs of aba ng. The past three days were nail-bi ng for Hong Kong’s tourism players. For the first me, tourism was used as a way to get the pro-democracy voice heard interna onally, as seen by the protests supported by the flight a endants union at Hong Kong Interna onal Airport on lAugust 9.

Singapore The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said that the introduc on of new Vistara flights from Delhi and Mumbai will help more Indian travellers experience leisure, business and cruise travel to Singapore Vistara launched its interna onal services with a DelhiSingapore flight on August 6. It launched the second daily flight from Mumbai on August 7. Singapore received 1.44 million visitors from India in 2018.

Australia New hotel and conference centre will be a part of $2 billion development in Melbourne. The proposed 5star Southbank Skyscraper urban resort will be topped with a “world-class roo op culinary experience” with views of the Melbourne skyline, making it the tallest tower in the Southern Hemisphere. The vision is to improve the urban environment on City Road and create an interna onally significant landmark.

13 | August | www.miceshowcase.com

News Buzz

Domes c Tourism And The Challenges

A

ccording to the latest FICCI-Yes Bank Report tled 'India Inbound Tourism: Unlocking the Opportuni es' the domes c tourism sector generated USD 247.3 billion (INR 16.91 trillion) revenue in 2018, with a growth of 6.7%.

But the reality is that when it comes to domes c tourism, pilgrimage travel cons tutes a significant por on of the pie, and leisure travel con nues to remain neglected. This is evident from the annual data released by the Ministry of Tourism that doesn't offer any bifurca on between pilgrimage and leisure travel, which is a setback for the stakeholders in the industry who are devoid of the real picture of domes c tourism in India. Moreover, the very comparison between domes c tourism and foreign tourist arrivals is a skewed concept.

Recent moves taken to push Domes c

14 | August | www.miceshowcase.com

Tourism Ini a ves are taken on regular basis to overcome challenges in domes c tourism, FICCI (Federa on of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) recently announced that it will boost industrial growth in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh region. The federa on congratulated the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for their unflinching resolve towards growth of Jammu & Kashmir. We expect this move will bring in greater stability and improved governance in the region, which will support fresh investments,” said Sandip Somany, President, FICCI. Tourism ministry’s Ini a ve to remove Nega ve percep on of India among global tourists Ini a ve to make 17 iconic sites of interna onal standards and to remove the nega ve percep on was taken by Tourism ministry. The

ministry is seeking feedback from the other countries. “I have met a few ministers as well as ambassadors from other countries and have asked them to give feedback on the nega ve percep on which the tourists from their country have formed about India from their visit,” said Prahlad Singh Patel, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Tourism and Culture.

To woo foreign foo alls at major tourist des na ons — with new foreign language signage, plans to shorten the evisa applica on form and slash the visa fees. The ministry is planning to put up sign boards in at least three foreign languages at places like Sanchi Stupa in Madhya Pradesh, Sarnath in U ar Pradesh and Bodh Gaya in Bihar which are frequented by large numbers of tourists from Sri Lanka, Japan and South Korea.

News Buzz P P Khanna, President, Associa on of Domes c Tour Operators of India (ADTOI), observes that the domes c tourism sta s cs released by Ministry of Tourism on es mate is a great concern for players in the industry.

“A comprehensive study on domes c tourism is required at the micro level.

This is one of the agenda of our business discussions at our upcoming Conven on, and we really want to find a way out to overcome it. It is true that pilgrims cons tute a large number of domes c travellers in the country.” “Depending on their disposable income, pilgrimage travellers do connect with nearby leisure des na ons or when on a leisure trip they pay visits to pilgrimage sites. Our members also make packages covering pilgrim des na ons. However, the state governments should also make some lucra ve schemes to woo pilgrim tourists and lure them to visit tourist nearby tourist des na ons,” Mr. Khanna pointed out.

Im az Qureshi, Honorary Treasurer, Travel Agents Associa on of India (TAAI) also feels that it is me for India to improve its status on the domes c tourism front. There is no dearth of beau ful domes c des na ons in the country. However, the lack of infrastructure, maintenance, and the sheer lack of will on the part of the concerned departments hampered development of domes c leisure tourism. “What is required now is that the government encourages more public private partnership programmes and concentrates on improving infrastructure rather than se ng up hotels/resorts of their own and give special financial incen ves for crea ng good tourist des na ons so that they tend to be

economically viable,” said Mr. Qureshi.

There are many areas of domes c leisure tourism des na ons which virtually remained unexplored. Take the example of North Eastern states of India, the region has spectacular biodiversity, wildlife, culture, tribes, snow-capped Himalayas, tropical forests, ancient villages and historically important archaeological sites. The region provides a wonderful opportunity for exploratory tourism at its very best. However, the en re region is s ll lagging behind and there is no concerted effort to promote the states to the domes c leisure traveller.

E M Najeeb, Senior Vice President, Indian Associa on of Tour Operators (IATO), strongly believes that India should have a focused strategy to a ract its own ci zens.

“Indian tourists like to combine more ac vi es and movements like sightseeing, shopping, entertainment, etc. during their holidays. We have to offer them special products which are a rac ve in all respects. Indian tourists are perceived as high spenders by overseas des na ons and it is me to make sure that they spend in Indian loca ons,” exhorts Najeeb.

Making Domes c Travel Lucra ve Of late, outbound travel from India has registered a significant growth and, this could be ascertained by the increasing focus on India by a plethora of foreign tourism boards. What restricts Indian travellers to explore their own country?

According to an expert, it is extremely necessary for India to become tax-friendly and remain compe ve in the global market.

advantage of the situa on,” pointed out the expert. Besides cost, the des na ons in India have to be at par with their foreign counterparts in terms of appeal, infrastructure, cleanliness and hygiene standards, etc. It is important to keep in mind that cost is not the sole reason for which a sec on of Indian travellers prefer to visit abroad. Qureshi rightly points out, “India has many places which can be developed as major tourist a rac ons both for the domes c as well as interna onal markets. However, these des na ons need to be developed and maintained as per the interna onal standards. The local popula on in those areas could also be involved in developing these des na ons so that employment is generated and revenues shared. A good amount of marke ng would also be needed for the same.”

Subhash Goyal, Honorary Secretary, Federa on of Associa ons in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH), suggests that the best way to promote the unexplored des na ons is to evolve a joint strategy of all the states and their respec ve local travel agents. “By doing so, they will make people aware of the unique points about that des na on and also what is the accessibility from the state capital and the nearest airport to that par cular region and what accommoda on is available at what price,” Goyal points out.

“Our tax structure is so high and because of that our neighbouring countries are taking

15 | August | www.miceshowcase.com

News Buzz

Passenger Vehicle Retail Sales Tumble 11% To 2,43,183 Units In July: FADA

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etail sales of passenger vehicles (PV) declined by 11 per cent to 2,43,183 units in July as compared to the same period last year, hit by weak demand across the country, automobile dealers' body FADA said on Monday. According to Federa on of Automobile Dealers Associa ons (FADA), PV sales stood at 2,74,772 units in July 2018. Two-wheeler sales declined by 5 per cent to 13,32,384 units last month as compared to 14,03,382 units in the year-ago period.

Commercial vehicle sales dropped by 14 per cent to 23,118 units against 26,815 units in July last year. Three-wheeler sales, however, saw an increase of 3 per

16 | August | www.miceshowcase.com

cent to 55,850 units last month from 54,250 units in the same period a year ago. Total sales across categories declined by 6 per cent to 16,54,535 units in July as against 17,59,219 units.

"Consumer sen ment and overall demand con nued to be quite weak across all segments and most geographies," FADA President Ashish Kale said.

With PV manufacturers reducing wholesale billings as well as regula ng produc on, inventory levels is now very close to 21 days level. Average inventory for PVs currently ranges from 25-30 days, he added. "CV inventory con nues to

remain at high levels...FADA urges OEM's to help regulate this inventory at the earliest by regula ng wholesale supplies," Kale said. Average inventory for CV ranges from 55-60 days. He also pointed out to high level of inventory in the two-wheeler segment which currently ranges between 60-65 days.

"We would once again urge and request all our two wheeler OEM's to help regulate this inventory to regular levels of three weeks and help our members avoid the perils associated with high inventory," Kale said. FADA represents over 15,000 automobile dealers who run around 25,000 dealerships across the country.

News Buzz

A Prominent MICE Venue - Mahatma Mandir Conven on And Exhibi on Centre

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ahatma Mandir Conven on and Exhibi on Centre, with long, lushgreen, stone finish walk-ways is an example of complete MICE venue – the largest pillar-less, state-of-art MICE facility in India. Spread in the area of 34acre, 20,000 sq.mtr of Conven on and Exhibi on area, the head-table for the Conference had 30 seats, with humongous backdrop; the floral arrangement; and capacity of 6,000-odd delegates together under one-roof.

The MICE facility at Gandhinagar is wellconnected to the globe through the City of Ahmedabad – UNESCO World Heritage city; also in close proximity to the business and financial hub of India, Mumbai. The Mahatma Mandir Conven on and Exhibi on Centre is managed and operated by the top-notch hotel chain in India – The Leela.

The Conven on Centre offers abundance of natural light and airy spaces, large glass facades, energy efficient ligh ng systems and recycling/waste water management. The mul -purpose hall offers a fantas c Ceiling height of 11m for any custom-structure or event.

Modern day environmentally-friendly ameni es and differently-abled choices have been inbuilt into the facility. Eco posi ve construc on material has been used for structure, design and services.

Hybrid renewable energy products have been installed at the MICE facility.

Some prominent shows organized at India Interna onal Photo Video Trade Fair (IIPVTF), Agri Asia, Dairy Livestock & Poultry Asia, GRAINMACH Asia, Indian Ice Cream Expo (IICE) and Woodex Asia The Conven on Centre has been specifically designed to meet the MICE requirements of large Corporates and Associa ons, Event Organizers, Global Meets and Conferences, of na onal and interna onal standards. The venue is ideal for Pharma Companies, Automobile Companies, Town Hall Meets, CEO Summits, Poli cal Extravaganzas, and much more.

Infrastructure The MICE Complex can accommodate upto 6000-delegates in theatre style at one go, and can handle swi movement of upto 15,000 people. The main plenary hall is pillar-less and provides for VIP viewing gallerias, TV networks, Simultaneous interpreta on facili es as well. Break-out rooms with capaci es of 500 and 100 people are available as well.

Extremely large three Exhibi on Centres, column-free, with all state-of-the-art facili es house unloading bays, ATMs, Travel Desk, Food Court and more.

Video Conferencing, Projec on Screens and Formats, Plug & play Sound Systems, Wi-Fi, Flexible and heavy duty floor for heavy machinery, Wide aisles for swi goods movement, Adequate storage facili es and large format Food Courts

come as a standard part of the package.

Exhibi on & Conven on Centres in India The Reliance Industries promoted – Dhirubhai Ambani Interna onal Conven on and Exhibi on Centre in Mumbai, is expected to be one of the biggest, opens late in 2019.

And the next big things shall be the Praga Maidan Conven on and Exhibi on Centre and the IICC Dwarka.

However, there are many other prominent venues for exhibi ons and conferences which are as follows: Bombay Exhibi on Centre (BEC), Mumbai, Chennai Trade Centre, India Exposi on Mart Greater Noida, Hitex Exhibi on Center, Hyderabad, Bengaluru Interna onal Exhibi on Centre, Bengaluru, Hyderabad Interna onal Conven on Centre, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, Renaissance Mumbai Conven on Centre Hotel, CIDCO Exhibi on Centren Navi Mumbai, NSIC Exhibi on Complex, New Delhi, World Trade Centre, Mumbai, Jaipur Exhibi on & Conven on Centre, Jaipur, Expocentre Noida, CODISSiA Coimbatore, MMRDA Grounds, Mumbai, Brilliant Conven on Centre Indore, Adlux Interna onal Conven on & Exhibi on Centre, Ernakulam, Science City, Kolkata, Labhganga Exhibi on Center, Indore, India Knit Fair Associa on, Tiruppur, and more.

17 | August | www.miceshowcase.com

News Buzz

Where Is China's MICE Industry Headed?

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he 2019 China Conference and Business Travel Fair kicked o at the Shanghai Interna onal Conven on Center in the Pudong New Area, gathering about 600 par cipants from home and abroad to brainstorm the development of China's mee ngs, incen ves, conferences and exhibi ons industry.

18 | August | www.miceshowcase.com

The two-day event is hosted by the Shanghai Administra on of Culture and Tourism and tourism authori es from another eight key MICE des na ons such as Beijing, Hainan and Shaanxi.

Government oďŹƒcials, representa ves from travel agencies, hotels, and airlines and MICE industry execu ves and

experts from the Interna onal Congress and Conven on Associa on are looking at issues such as the challenges facing China's MICE industry, its digital transforma on, des na on marke ng, and the rela onship between large exhibi on ac vi es and a city's major industries.

News Buzz

Incredible India Road Show in US to A ract Tourists

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imed at a rac ng more Americans to explore the various facets of 'Incredible India', road shows are being held in different US ci es to showcase the country's various facets ranging from rich cultural and historical heritage to adventure and medical tourism.

The four-day road show, organised by the government of India in associa on with industry stakeholders, received enthusias c response from the US tour operators, officials said in Washington.

"The road show has reflected that there is a lot of interest among Americans to visit India and explore its various facets ranging from rich cultural and historical heritage to adventure and medical tourism," said, Meenakshi Sharma, Director General (Tourism).

Sharma is leading a high-powered Indian tourism delega on to Washington DC, Boston, Sea le and San Francisco in the US and Vancouver in Canada.

On an average 1.2 million American tourists visit India every year. The Department of Tourism has set the goal of increasing it by 10 per cent every year, which she said is doable.

For this, Sharma underscored the need

of crea ng the right kind of partnership.

And now that the connec vity has increased due to more direct flights between the two countries, she hoped that more and more American tourists will opt India as their des na on.

A similar road show was held in New York last year and this year they are having in new ci es.

In her presenta on before the key American stakeholders and tourism partners, Sharma talked about the various experiences that American tourists can have in India, star ng from heritage to fair and fes vals, cuisine and shopping. The focus, this me, she said, is more on themes rather than on des na on.

‘Because, we understand that nowadays people would like to experience and not so much cking a box’, she said.

No ng that India is just ge ng started to explore its tourism poten al, she said World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) lists India at third posi on in Travel and Tourism Power and Performance Report 2018.

India accounts for just 1.2 per cent of the

world tourism share, and India's earnings in terms of World Tourism Receipts is 2.1 per cent, she said. ‘This reflects that, travellers coming to India are spending more, and India is just ge ng started, Sharma said.

However, the growth of foreign tourist arrival in India (14 per cent in 2017) is much faster than rest of the world (6.8 per cent)’, she said.

In her presenta on, she said that India is one of the fastest growing avia on markets in the world, with 18 of the 125 airports being interna onal airports and as many as 23 airports have been developed and upgraded in the last five years.

As part of its efforts to promote tourism, India has extended e-visa facility to 167 countries. In 2018, 274,000 Americans visited India through e-visa facility.

While single entry has been converted to mul ple entries, she said exis ng restric on of allowing foreigner for visi ng India for a maximum of three mes in a year has been removed.

The government has also extended evisa facility for tourist, business, medical and cruise, she said.

19 | August | www.miceshowcase.com

News Buzz

TTF Kolkata Observes Another Full House Edi on · Business visitors and consumers hit the floor in record numbers · 30th edi on · 450+ exhibitors · record turnout of 10,000 visitors strategically important gateway for the industry. That is the reason it is a full house show every year since the last 29 years – a legacy that we are proud of,” remarked Sanjiv Agarwal, chairman and CEO of Fairfest Media, the organiser of TTF.

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ravel and Tourism Fair (TTF), India's oldest and one of the largest travel trade show network was celebrated in Kolkata this year. The fair had 14 countries and 25 Indian states and union territories which had set up their pavilions to present themselves as the next travel des na on for the Bengali tourists. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal par cipated at the fair as partner countries while Thailand and Bahrain had joined as feature countries. Other countries which were represented in TTF Kolkata included Bhutan, China, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, South Africa, New Zealand and UAE. India Tourism also had a prominent presence at the show.

The show saw a large foo all of travel trade members on the first one and a half days reserved for trade and B2B interac ons and an even larger number of travel-enthusiasts from Kolkata and its nearby places during the other one and a half days when the event was opened for them. B2B visitors came from as far as north Bengal as well as northeast Indian states, along with Odisha, Bihar and Jharkhand.

The consumers had their best opportunity to plan their next vaca on

20 | August | www.miceshowcase.com

for the Durga Puja and Diwali holidays with great offers, discounts and packages specially curated for them!

Present at the inaugura on were Toufique Hasan, deputy high commissioner of Bangladesh Deputy High Commission; Atri Bha acharya, principal secretary, department of tourism, government of West Bengal; Sweeya San pitaks, consul-general of the Royal Thai Consulate, Viranga Bandara, assistant director-marke ng, Sri Lanka Tourism Promo on Bureau, Isra Stapanseth, director – New Delhi, Tourism Authority of Thailand, and other dignitaries. The Indian states of West Bengal and U arakhand had the largest pavilions, followed by Odisha, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan who had set up their state pavilions along with their private tour and travel operators. Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Assam, Jharkhand, Lakshadweep, Tripura, Nagaland, Jammu & Kashmir and Karnataka had also set up their state pavilions to a ract tourists to their states.

“TTF Kolkata is India's oldest and one of the busiest travel trade shows in India.

With the increasing importance of outbound and inbound poten al in the East and Southeast Asia, it serves as a

TTF Forum This year TTF Kolkata for the first me hosted the TTF Forum with a panel discussion on Exploring Travel & Tourism Opportuni es Beyond Eastern India: How Bangladeshi Tourists Outnumbered European Travellers to India. The Forum moderated by India Outbound Magazine of Media India Group had speakers from prominent des na on management companies from Bangladesh - Taufiq Rahman, chief execu ve, Journey Plus; Syed Shafat Uddin Ahmed, managing director, Market N-Trance and Md Mohiuddin Helal, CEO, River and Green Tours. Bangladesh topped Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in 2017, with a foo all of 21,56,557 tourists. On the other hand, Bangladesh also receives a majority of interna onal tourists from India, largely from West Bengal. decades and have seen this fair grow from a very small beginning to this proposi on. The number of qualified buyers is increasing every year and it is a good sign for the industry.” “The success of any such event largely depends on the return of investment (ROI) of the sellers. This year there is a significant focus by Fairfest Media to a ract more buyers and industry stakeholders to the event and the sellers who have invested this year have got much more prospec ve customers in terms of B2B transac ons and more networking opportuni es too.

It jus fied all the interest of the par cipa ng sellers which is appreciable and determines the success of an event,” IATO West Bengal chapter chairman Debjit Du a concluded.

News Buzz

Indian MICE Industry, Pegged At Rs 25,000 Crore, Has Huge Appe te For Growth’ With the Mee ngs, Incen ves, Conferences, Exhibi ons (MICE) space in India set to triple over the next two to three years, the sector is poised for robust growth.

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ith the Mee ngs, Incen ves, Conferences, Exhibi ons (MICE) space in India set to triple over the next two to three years, the sector is poised for robust growth. According to the es mates of the industry analysts, Indian MICE sector size is pegged at Rs 25,000 crore, growing at a rate of about 8 per cent year over year. With more than 10 new MICE venues coming up in various parts of country and the expansion of exis ng venues being undertaken, space is set to triple.

“Right now, Indian MICE industry has a consolidated space of about 5,00,000 sq metres. More than 12 new venues such as the proposed exhibi on cum conven on centre at Dwarka and expansion of exis ng venues at Praga

Maidan, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Pune and others will ensure that the MICE space in India will cross 15,00,000 sq metres over the next two to three years.

Once it happens then the industry’s growth rate will double form the exis ng 8 per cent to 16 per cent,” said KV Nagendra Prasad, President, Indian Exhibi on Industry Associa on (IEIA) speaking to the press. Besides the industry, Union government and several state governments have been ac vely trying to set up more MICE venues to draw both business and leisure travellers, helping the industry grow.

The Centre also targets to increase the share of Indian MICE industry to 2 per

cent globally from the exis ng 0.5 per cent by 2025. According to IEIA’s es mates, the MICE sector currently employs about 60,000 people directly and for each direct job it creates, poten al for eight indirect jobs is also created. “While China’s GDP is just 2.5 per cent bigger than us, it has MICE space of 11 mes more. When compared to China, India has lot more scope to grow.

“There is huge demand for more MICE space and there is urgent need for addi on of new space. As the construc on of new MICE venues is going on brisk space across country, the sector is poised for huge growth in the coming years,” explained Bhupinder Singh, Hon. Secretary, IEIA

21 | August | www.miceshowcase.com

News Buzz

ICCA Publishes 2018 City And Country Rankings By Es mated Total Number Of Par cipants

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CCA has published its country and city rankings by es mated total number of par cipants as part of its public abstract of the 2018 Sta s cs Report , offering an alterna ve perspec ve on the growth of the associa on mee ngs market. In a con nua on of annual trends in 2017, Barcelona and U.S.A. take the top spots these rankings. The global mee ngs industry trade associa on calculates the es mated total number of par cipants by mul plying the average number of par cipants per mee ng (of which the par cipant number is known to ICCA) by the total number of mee ngs in the same des na on. Consequently, when analysing des na ons based on the es mated total number of par cipants instead of number of mee ngs, the rankings can present different results.

2018 City rankings: Barcelona hosts most delegates despite fewer number of mee ngs In 2018, Barcelona becomes the number one city by es mated total number of par cipants, despite the fact that the des na on hosted 49 events less than Paris, the number one city by number of mee ngs. Therefore, it can be concluded that Barcelona hosted fewer but larger events. Paris and Vienna, respec vely first and second in the ranking by number of mee ngs, are

22 | August | www.miceshowcase.com

second and third in this par cular ranking. Berlin takes fi h place to coincide with their ranking by number of mee ngs.

One par cular example that demonstrates how the number of par cipants presents a differing view of the market comes from Munich. In 2018, the city, which comes in at 35th place by number of mee ngs, jumps from 87th in 2017 to fourth place in 2018 by es mated total of par cipants – an impressive 93,444. This is due to the fact the city hosted two major medical conferences in 2018: the Congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) with 32,858 par cipants, and the Congress of the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) with 27,700 par cipants.

2018 Country/Territory rankings: U.S.A. remains in the top spot The U.S.A. remains in the top country spot with an es mated total of 384,035 par cipants hosted in 2018. Per this ranking, Spain and Germany swap places compared to the rankings by number of mee ngs, with Spain in second place and Germany in third. France also remains in fourth, as with the ranking by number of mee ngs.

Canada, 10th in the ranking by number

of mee ngs, enters the top 5 by es mated total number of par cipants, jumping from 168,000 to 203,000 par cipants in 2018, at an increase of 20% compared to 2017.

Global associa on mee ng trends: According to ICCA Sta s cs released in 2013 to mark the 50-year growth of the associa on sector, between 1963 and 2013, the number of interna onal associa on mee ngs doubled every 10 years. ICCA’s latest industry report on the 55-year growth of the interna onal associa on mee ngs market confirmed that this exponen al growth trend has now slowly transcended into a more mature, yet s ll solid, growth pa ern between 2013 and 2017. The 2018 figures seem to confirm this trend.

ICCA’s sta s cs provide an extensive picture of how the associa on mee ngs sector is con nuing to diversify, especially in terms of regional rota on area and regional popularity for hos ng business events. In keeping with tradi on, Europe remains by far the most popular region for associa on mee ngs, but Asia-Pacific and the Middle East are rapidly increasing their share of the market.

News Buzz Unsurprisingly, Medical Science (16.9%), Technology (14.2%) and Science (13.5%) are the three most popular interna onal associa on mee ng topics. September remains the most popular month for organising interna onal associa on mee ngs. In another strong indica on of healthy market growth, the average total expenditure at all interna onal mee ngs in the ICCA Associa on Database has increased by a promising 4% in 2018, from 10.6 billion EUR in 2017 to over 11 billion EUR in 2018. Associa on mee ngs facing new challenges.

Senthil Gopinath, ICCA Chief Execu ve Officer, said: “Our industry is facing challenges from satura on, consolida on and new entrants, to erosion of tradi onal business models and fragmenta on. There are also great

opportuni es, including market growth, disrup ve innova on, digi sa on, new players, less market barriers, new audiences and new scalable models.

Alongside all these developments, the number of events is con nuing to grow exponen ally. The most respected global comparison of des na on performance in a rac ng interna onal mee ngs, our annual sta s cs reports are highly an cipated by the mee ngs industry.

are o en mistakenly perceived as the des na on rankings for the mee ngs industry as a whole, even though they only represent a niche market segment.

Only those mee ngs that meet ICCA’s stringent assessment criteria - rota ng between at least three countries, have a proven a endance of at least 50 par cipants, and are held on a regular basis - are recorded within the global associa on’s annual sta s cs.

They con nue to provide a unique overview which encompasses – and simultaneously celebrates - the global growth of associa on mee ngs, a sector which is only set to soar in strength, influence and progress.” Whilst the most comprehensive and highly-respected global des na on performance indicator for the associa on sector, ICCA rankings

The public abstract of the 2018 ICCA Sta s cs Report is available for free download now on the ICCA website.

ICCA’s more extensive sta s cs are accessible to ICCA Members only via the Des na on Comparison Tool, a business intelligence tool which allows ICCA members to analyse their market posi on and compare mee ngs data.

TAT Mumbai Hosts ASEAN-Indian Film Fes val

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he Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Mumbai in coopera on with the tourism boards of the ASEAN countries and India, inaugurated a threeday film fes val at the Na onal Museum of Indian Cinema (Film Division).

Held between 9-11 August, the ASEANIndian Film Fes val was one of the events being held to commemorate 2019 as the ASEAN-India Year of Tourism Coopera on.

In addi on to the common history, cultural celebra ons and religious

connec ons; interes ngly, the ASEAN countries also celebrate their na onal days during the month of August.

Alongside showcasing the common es among the countries, the objec ve of this fes val was also to highlight the poten al film tourism in these countries.

Cholada Siddhivarn, Director of TAT in Mumbai shared insights on the growing prospects of film tourism and urged the guests to explore Thailand and ASEAN countries for filming opportuni es. The fes val showcased select films from

ASEAN countries which was a treat for both tourism and film lovers.

The month of August was a special treat for movie lovers with the ASEAN-Indian Films Fes val 2019, an exci ng exhibi on of films from Southeast Asia and India.

Na onal Museum of Indian Cinema in Cumbala Hill was cynosure for interes ng selec on of movies showcasing the cultural variety and vibrancy of these closely-connected countries. With free entry to all, this event was sure to be a cinema c celebra on to remember!

23 | August | www.miceshowcase.com

Featured Ar cle

MICE Is Not An Industry, It Is An Economic Ac vity

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ICE business in India is poised to grow, buoyed by recent ini a ves by the Ministry of Tourism because of the rising economic importance of the Region, India's sterling performance in areas of IT, Biotechnology, Medicine as well as Manufacturing have made it an economic hot spot. If we were to analyze this data in the Indian context, given its emergence as a key economic hot spot along with other Countries in Asia, the enormous opportuni es that lie within this segment.

India has all the pre requisites of being one of the top des na ons in the World having more than 350 Medical Colleges, 400 Agricultural Universi es, IIT's, IIM's. We must take advantage as most of these Organiza ons have a provision to underwrite Bid support and financial assistance for Conferences which come under the Technical domain.

Academic interac ons, many Associa ons and business meets also happen under MICE. This presents a good opportunity for global businesses to come to India to develop contacts and also for local companies to market their products and services. O en these contacts can result in some exchange through business transac ons but it is not possible to study them under the current research. If the revenue generated through these industry interac ons can be quan fied, the resultant economic impact can be even larger.

We in the Conven on Industry strongly believe that MICE is not an Industry, it is an Economic ac vity which has significant economic and social impact. To make it easier for very large Conven ons to be financially supported, the Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India has also taken ini a ves in that direc on and looking at crea ng corpus fund for bidding for large conferences. We in ICPB also have been playing our role as a Marke ng arm of Ministry of Tourism in promo ng India as a preferred MICE des na on and also crea ng awareness that India has the capability and capacity of holding Interna onal Conferences or Conven ons of any size. Being a major revenue contributor to the Tourism Industry, a MICE policy is the need of the hour. Sensi za on of the State Governments is another important factor to make them aware of the economic impact of MICE events. “Lucra ve ini a ves should include Road Shows overseas involving state governments, the Corporates and Associa ons”. India is an a rac ve incen ve des na on with good MICE infrastructure in some loca ons but it is not marketed well. Aggressive marke ng is necessary – both in India and overseas.

Exclusive Interview

IN TALKS WITH SWOSTI GROUPS, AN EPICENTER OF MICE BUSINESS, ODISHA services of our group. Though many changes in customer lifestyle and expecta ons, Swos group has always delivered on promise and the secret to this success is the philosophy at the core of it, i.e. each and every employee is driven by a passion to deliver. This passion makes Swos Group stand apart and con nue to add value to customer experiences. Swos Group has successfully handled very large conferences / Medical Conferences, IT conferences, Exhibi ons, Na onal & Interna onal Conferences MICE upto 3000 delegates in Bhubaneswar & Chilika several mes and Swos Travels has taken full care for providing transport services through our expert, well trained execu ves and staff.

MS. Kindly tell us about the MICE facili es of your hotel.

A. “Swos Group (Hotels-Resorts-Travels-Educa on) has become the epicenter of MICE business in the state of Odisha with the largest conven on hall (Chankya) at Swos Premium Bhubaneswar, which is now classified as 5-Star and “Swos Chilika Resort” an exclusive MICE venue in one of the most pris ne loca ons in the country on the banks of the largest lake in Northern Hemisphere (Chilika Lake). Swos Chilika Resort is the perfect venue for planning your conferences, mee ngs, corporate get-togethers, MICE events or other business mee ngs. Its conference hall and mee ng room furnished with modern ameni es and accompanied by our dedicated team promises to create all your corporate events seamless & successful. Swos Group has remained the first choice for any mega or mini conferences coming to the State of Odisha. Swos Group, managed by professionals, offers Tour & Travel Management, MICE Management, Conference Venue, Accommoda on of Delegates (venue hotel & other star hotels), transporta on, Cultural Programme, Pre / Post Conven on Tours, Photography, Videography services, Guest Welcoming (Airport / Rly Sta on to Conference Venue and other hotels), Guides & Hostess Assistance and many more. Modern technologies, video conferencing facility, and wi-fi connec on, etc are some of the added services offered through MICE in Odisha. We have our own transport with a fleet of coaches and cars with professional guides and drivers of Swos Travels.

MS. Which are the main corporates that you cater to and how are you growing your market share?

A. Corporates from all sectors are now willing to shell out the extra money required to travel out of their home space to host an event in a des na on that offers state of the art facili es, new experiences and added value of travel.

All most all corporate sectors, i.e. Medical, IT, MNCs / Banks / Medicine and many more are well experienced the professional

MS. Kindly tell us about the special menu offerings that you can provide for corporate events?

A. Most of the dishes of our hotels have special a rac on for the guests. Quality of food served are very unique and authen c.

World's choicest cuisine made from the hands of talented chefs with great care & interest are Indian, Con nental, Chinese, Oddisi and Bengali, we have everything for everyone from children to very elderly where everyone is served by our professional servers with the great human touch promptly & efficiently.

MS. How has business been in terms of MICE in 2018? Any large bookings for 2019?

A. We have successfully handled many mega events in 2018 at Swos Premium and Swos Chilika Resort such as ESICON 2018, ISNCON 2018, USICON in the month of Jan. 19, INCAL in Jan. 19, IAGES in Feb. 19, Odisha Travel Bazaar and we have also confirmed MICE bookings for the year 2019 and 2020.

MS. How is the MICE infrastructure developing in the city as well as the state?

A. Odisha has recently emerged as one of the major MICE des na ons in Eastern India. Almost every hotel in the city has equipped itself with large conven on centers with State of the Art technology in arranging interna onal conven ons and conferences. The Odisha State Tourism Dept. has now started spending huge amounts on adver sements etc to a ract MICE tourists. Odisha Tourism in coordina on with entrepreneurs from Hotel & Travel trade is conduc ng Road-shows throughout the year in important tourist des na ons of India as well as abroad to promote tourism poten al of Odisha and a ract more MICE Tourists to this state.

MS. What are your upcoming plans?

A. Swos Group is coming up soon with Two Beach Resort Projects, one at Gopalpur on Sea and another at Puri. We have already land at Puri and acquired a patch of land at Gopalpur on Sea. Very soon Swos Group will put up world class luxury beach resorts at these places.

25 | August | www.miceshowcase.com

Exclusive Interview

MICE SHOWCASE TALKS TO AMARESH TIWARI, MD, A.T. SEASONS & VACATIONS TRAVEL PVT. LTD.

“Our aim is to promote MICE in

er II & III ci es more o en so that an environment of inclusive market can be created. We are also developing the knowledge based MICE Industry in India, promoting new concepts and new ideas. We are se ng up a more specialised team to cater specific industry needs.”

Exclusive Interview MS. Please share the role of your organisa on in the MICE sector.

Amaresh. Mee ngs & Incen ves World (A division of A.T.Seasons & Vaca ons Travel Pvt. Ltd.) is a leading MICE company in the country. We specialise in handing Mee ngs, Conferences, Incen ves, Corporate Training Programmes, Team Building, Offsites, events and Inbound and Outbound Tours along with Corporate Travel.

Amaresh. Skilled Manpower specially young professionals who are not having the exposure of MICE in their curriculum; Government support in MICE promo ons; Use of funds to maintain cash flow at low industry rate as compare to compe ve markets; higher taxa on rates of 28% GST which create very nega ve impressions in global market. These are some of the key challenges faced by us while opera ng in this sector.

MS. What differen ates you from your compe tors?

Amaresh. We conceptualise ideas, develop the content, do market research and based on the needs in the industry, we offer programmes. We are doing a lot of work on MDPs, LDPs and SDGs. We organise Industry events with interna onal exposure, best management prac ces and this makes us different from our compe tors. We work a lot on building confidence, trust, crea ng team, developing bonds amongst par cipants and crea ng con nuity even a er the event is over.

MS. What are your future plans?

Amaresh. India being the fastest growing market and one of the biggest consumer markets, our aim is to promote MICE in er 2 and 3 ci es more o en, so that an environment of inclusive market can be created. We are also developing the knowledge based MICE Industry in India and to promote new concepts and new ideas. We are se ng up a more specialised team to cater specific industry needs.

MS. What are the key milestones achieved by your organisa on over the years?

Amaresh. We started our business in the year 2003 and since then we had organised many firsts in the industry, e.g. Made In India show; Enterprise India Show, etc. We had been assigned to organise events as the official agency of CII in Sri Lanka, China, Thailand, CIS countries, Romania, South Korea and other places in the world. When REED Exhibi ons entered into India, we were its official agency and handled most of their major shows, conferences in India. We got awarded as the “Best MICE company of the year”; “Best Conference organiser”, “Excellence in Service Standard”, “Best Tourism Professional of the year”; “Most Influen al Tourism Professional”.

MS. Who are your key clients?

Amaresh. Although there’s a vast list of that, but some prominent among them include from these industriesAutomobiles sector, Automo ve Components Manufacturers; Oil & Gas Industry; Power and Energy Sector; Corporate Trainers, banking and Finances, Management Associa ons, Industry Associa ons, etc.

MS. What are some of the key challenges which you have faced in your business over the years?

MS. What are the issues being faced by the Indian MICE industry?

Amaresh. Higher GST rates of 28%, Conference Visa; Removal of Licence Raj from organising conferences and events; Incen ves to organisers so that they can bring their events in India, are some of the major issues being faced by the Indian MICE industry, in my view. We need to have a clear Incen ve policy and corpus of funds to promote MICE globally as bureau and able to bid for Interna onal conferences through ICPB. MS. What are the opportuni es present in this sector?

Amaresh. There are huge opportuni es available in this sector.

More than 40% leisure market is coming because of MICE industry. Being one of the biggest consumer markets and being one of the fastest growing economies, in the next 20-30 years MICE business in Asia, specially in India presents a very promising future. And we are in a very good posi on to capture these opportuni es. MICE is going to be the biggest foreign exchange earner and the largest employment generator in tourism sector.

MS. What kind of support does the Indian government provide to the MICE sector?

Amaresh. Market Development Assistance (MDA) to official DMCs/PCOs to bid for Interna onal Conferences. However, the industry expects more efforts from the government to promote MICE in India. The government should have a pro-ac ve approach to remove hurdles present in this sphere.

“

We started our business in the year 2003 and since then we had organised many firsts in the industry, e.g. Made In India show; Enterprise India Show, etc.

We had been assigned as the official agency of CII in Sri Lanka, China, Thailand, CIS countries, Romania, South Korea etc.

“

MS. Please highlight your service delivery capabili es.

Amaresh. We organise events not only in the major ci es of Indiabut we create an environment and eco system through our sister company “Chrysalid Outdoor Learning Centres India Pvt Ltd” where we not only develop the remote areas but also maintained sustainable development. We have developed the environment in wilderness where par cipants learn about nature, take back from nature and organise great events with value for money.

We organise MICE events not only in India but across the world, thereby crea ng the value for our clients. We are having our network partners at 42 loca ons across the globe.

27 | August | www.miceshowcase.com

Exclusive Interview

YOGESH MUDRAS, MANAGING DIRECTORINFORMA MARKETS, INDIA The role of B2B trade exhibi ons is to upgrade, enhance, encourage and create solu ons for the industry. Informa Markets, India is playing a very important role in the growth of the business travel through their flagship shows such as REI, CPhI & P-MEC, SATTE amongst other shows.

“ We at Informa Markets, India always boost the energy of our employees and make sure they keep in mind the industry is meant for you! At Informa Markets, India, we solve the reten on problem by appealing to employee’s desire to learn on the job and know more.

A er an exhaus ve process of recruitment, new entrants undergo a plethora of training modules.”

Exclusive Interview

MS. What is the current state of Indian Exhibi on Industry?

Yogesh. India’s venture into the arena of exhibi ons industry has been long overdue, but the market has witnessed a significant change and growth over the last 15 years with a promising future which is des ned to grow. The proac ve policies of the Indian government and its bureaucracy has allowed for an ecosystem where businesses can be developed more easily. The Indian exhibi on industry is among the first to create benefit, making it a pulsa ng mul -crore industry. Globally, in terms of the number of exhibitors, North America represents the largest region with 1.6 million exhibitors in 2018. Whereas, the Asia Pacific region is ranked third with 1.2 million exhibitors, represen ng 26.7% of global exhibitors. In comparison to the interna onal facts and figures, India is s ll at a nascent stage.

The exhibi on industry con nues to fight issues and challenges like new exhibi on infrastructure, public-private partnership projects, venue rates and tax compulsions, complex processes and procedures, temporary imports into India, industry status, professional management, training and development at root level, health and safety ini a ves, greener and sustainable ini a ves. The industry status would make the biggest differen al, and it's something the exhibi ons industry perseveres to achieve this fiscal year and beyond.

MS. What is the contribu on of exhibi ons in MICE? According to a report 54% of the travellers to India are business travelers.

What according to you is the contribu on of exhibi ons here?

Yogesh. Today, India stands at the 31st posi on from 35th rank in 2014 globally as per ICCA (Interna onal Congress and Conven on Associa on) and the Indian government has set an ambi ous target for MICE INDIA to achieve 2% of the global

MICE market share by 2025. Interes ngly, it is es mated that a person travelling to a country for a conference or conven on spends anywhere between four to eight mes more than a normal leisure traveller, which leads to an increase in inbound tourism revenues. The role of B2B trade exhibi ons is to upgrade, enhance, encourage and create solu ons for the industry. Informa Markets, India is playing a very important role in the growth of the business travel through their flagship shows such as REI, CPhI & P-MEC, SATTE amongst other shows. These annual three-day B2B shows aid businesses of hotels, airlines and tour operators to grow. A rising trend among Indian Business traveller is “Bleisure travel”, a research report revealed that Indian business traveller have taken at least seven business trips in a year, of which more than half were extended for leisure travel. These are most important factors which helps the tourism industry to grow. In fact, India is posi oned as the 10th largest business travel market worldwide.

In an effort to aid the MICE segment the finance minister has proposed an increase in tax-free income of Indian residents thus pumping up disposable incomes during the interim budget.

Government is also working on easing the visa process, 2019 looks like a MICE -dominated year with many city sold-out events. The airline industry is also opening up skies, making travel accessible and me short. All buoyant growth in the tourism sector and support from the various players to improve tourism infrastructure will help India become most sought-a er MICE des na on.

MS. Exhibi ons enable business opportuni es; can you give some

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Exclusive Interview

India does not have the proper infrastructure to conduct large exhibi ons, with very few large venues of interna onal standards. Venue crea on holds the key to future growth, unleashing years of pent-up demand to take the industry growth to double digits.

“

“

examples to suffice this statement?

Yogesh. Exhibi ons mean business, they are the catalyst to economic growth and they facilitate na onal & interna onal trade. Show organisers put in several elements in their show to make their event as relevant as they can. They are in a constant race to make sure that their visitors find compelling reasons to be at their show. One of the growing trends across B2B exhibi ons is the increasing demand for conference programs and award shows within the exhibi ons. This ensures the vital knowledge element to the show besides adding up to the incremental me spent at the show and also act as a possible differen a ng factor from other similar shows in the industry.

For example, exhibitors nowadays are very crea ve in finding ways of not only a rac ng visitors at their stands but also engaging with those in order to ensure a be er and more memorable experience. Mini football, raffles, VR games, hashtag compe ons or photo walls – everything that evokes interest and makes people stop by an exhibi on stand, is useful. Given the characteris cs of the exhibi ons sector, there are two major components that analyse the global economic impact of this business ac vity. These include direct spending and indirect spending. According to UFI reports, exhibi ons globally welcomed nearly 303 million visitors and 4.5 million exhibitors in 2018. Europe ranked first in terms of total visitors with 112.0 million visitors and 1.3 million exhibitors. The Asia Pacific region ranked third with 81.5 million visitors and 121.0 million exhibitors. Input-output, mul plier matrices were developed to measure the economic significance of these exhibi ons and these show the exhibi on sector will excel in the near future and India will play a significant role in it.

MS. How have you seen the Indian Exhibi on Industry evolving in last 3 years in terms of exhibitor and visitor par cipa on, Venue enhancement, sa sfac on of par cipants, mindset of the stakeholders towards the industry and par cipa on and support of the Government toward the industry?

Yogesh. It is a con nuous effort and process for all the organisers to constantly innovate to offer op mal par cipant experience and return on investment. Today, exhibi on is a dynamic industry that con nues to change and demand for goods from all corners of the globe. The history of trade shows demonstrates from a humble, necessary beginnings to a drama c evolu on. A couple of years ago, we outlined three essen al elements for trade shows: high quality networking facili es, connec vity and modularity. Exhibi on industry in India is moving in a posi ve

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direc on. The proac ve policies of the Indian government and its bureaucracy has allowed for an ecosystem where businesses can be developed more easily. With an industry status, our economy would grow even faster. It would help us in ge ng the much-needed tax benefit for long term sustainability, compe ve venue rates and the development of good quality venues under the PPP model, structured finance and tax compulsions.

MS. What is the mindset of youth/millennials towards this industry?

Yogesh. Millennials are the largest genera on in the workforce right now. By 2025, millennials will account for as much as threequarters of the global workforce, states a report by EY. millennials are changing the way industries, businesses, and governments are run, the trade industry is no different. millennials look forward to trade shows as they want an experience with learning, entertainment, marke ng, aesthe cs and networking. They seek an experience-centric approach like product demonstra on and interac on with booth staffs, they also look for giveaways. They are constantly looking for high impact memorable experiences as they are engaging with others in their networks. According to a study, the highest ranked responses at an average of 4.44, millennials are significantly mo vated to par cipate in mee ngs and events for the purposes of career networking and job opportuni es. In response to the ques on about how millennials prefer to communicate, the most preferred method was face-to-face, ranked at 4.28 which means millennials want to ac vely par cipate and just not listen. millennials are helping the industry to grow because they truly live in the digital world. Technology is no longer just nice to have; it is a necessity. Because of millennials, trade shows are coming up with out-of-the box ideas to promote and engage with the audience in order to achieve higher foo alls.

Exclusive Interview MS. As an employer, how do you build/grow the careers of your employees? How do you inspire your people in your team to give their best output?

Yogesh. If you think working in an exhibi on and events space is about travelling and mee ng new people then you may be par ally correct. On the whole this industry has much more to offer. We at Informa Markets, India always boost the energy of our employees and make sure they keep in mind the industry is meant for you! At Informa Markets, India we solve the reten on problem by appealing to employee’s desire to learn on the job and know more. A er an exhaus ve process of recruitment, new entrants undergo a plethora of training modules. The exhaus ve orienta on programme helps them comprehend the matrix of the company in India and their role within it. Simultaneously, these employees are also on-boarded to an online pla orm that links all Informa Markets, India employees worldwide where they can connect with their peers in other regions and feel an invaluable part of the global corpora on. Mandatory comple on of e-learning modules on workplace safety, systems and processes, and workplace harassment trains the new employee to always do the right thing. These modules nurture the Ownership Mindset in the employee, and he/she experiences the autonomy to be crea ve, strategies, execute and drive results.

Depending on the nature of an employee’s responsibility, a consistent framework of training is used to enhance his/her competencies, a tude and knowledge, to keep pace with the constantly evolving expo business. Employees, including those from the HR, are periodically sent for execu ve and corporate training programmes, seminars and forums, while industry experts are regularly invited to hone the knowledge of the team in special events and sessions. We have recently introduced onsite induc ons to show a glimpse of the sector and to enable industry as well as non industry professionals to know what it

takes to deliver a show. Performance coaching is also something we look forward to this year that will help managers drive performance of their teams. That apart, prac ces that encourage team bonding and collabora ve culture outside the realm of work has to be encouraged. As opposed to past hierarchical norms, an open-door prac ce by which all employees can discuss their issues freely with the senior management is gaining currently.

MS. What are the major challenges which the industry must address to grow further? Please also highlight those challenges which you believe can come up in near future?

Yogesh. One of the key challenges of not having a ained the industry status is that it is unrecognized by the government and therefore, bound to be fragmented and unorganized apart from a few key players. Also, India does not have the proper infrastructure to conduct large exhibi ons, with very few large venues of interna onal standards. Venue crea on holds the key to future growth, unleashing years of pent-up demand to take the industry growth to double digits. Another major concern is the health and safety of all exhibi on organizers with heavy machines, and valuable products being brought in together in a limited area teaming with people on a regular basis. At Informa Markets, India we work with very strict and sustainable norms and take precau ons with regards to health and safety of the people to avoid any untoward incident.

“Exhibi ons mean business, they are the catalyst to economic growth and they facilitate na onal & interna onal trade. Show organisers put in several elements in their show to make their event as relevant as they can. They are in a constant race to make sure that their visitors find compelling reasons to be at their show.”

31 | August | www.miceshowcase.com

Exclusive Interview

CIMGlobal is in the “ industry for more than 20 years and we manage more than 100 events annually, from 150 to 20,000 participants and book more than 1,00,000 sleeping and meeting rooms annually around the world.”

MICE SHOWCASE TALKS TO PRASANT SAHA, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CIMGLOBAL MS. Tell us about yourself, and your journey in this industry?

Prasant. I am an MBA in Interna onal Business, from University of Westminster, UK. My early experience was with the Travel and Hospitality industry at UK. I was the Head, Asian markets for the Department of Trade and Industry, London. My inspira on has always been crea ng pla orms for global communica ons and pushing the economic impact by posi ve business approach, which is why CIMGlobal, one of the forerunners in the Indian PCO realm came into existence. Our mission lies in playing a pivotal role in expanding the base of our industry and to be the number 1 player in our industry while retaining our people, business values and ethics.

MS. What factors you feel have enabled you to reach & sustain this posi on? How do you push through your worst mes?

Prasant. Curiosity to learn something new each me and catering to the needs of the client and team members and also having a goal bigger than your own need. To have a strong understanding of the business, customer centric, desire to constantly innovate and do all this with Speed, Simplicity and Collabora on.

MS. How many events have you handled so far?

Prasant. We manage more than 100 events annually, from 150 to 20,000 par cipants and book more than 1,00,000 sleeping and mee ng rooms annually around the world.

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MS. Tell us about some of your flagship events and what lies in store in the coming years?

Prasant. India Associa on Congress is CIMGlobal’s flagship event which was started in the year 2011 and this year it’s the 7th edi on of the same. It’s a congrega on of more than 300 associa on leaders to come together and contribute in the evergrowing congress. Apart from this CIMGlobal organize several large medical, technology conferences around the world.

MS. What is the business model of CIMGlobal? What ac vi es you specialize in?

Prasant. The 4 core ac vi es handled by CIMGlobal are Associa on Consul ng, Conference and Mee ng Management, Exhibi on Management & Technology Services.

MS. Describe some challenges you have faced in your previous projects. What did you do to ensure client sa sfac on?

Prasant. Conferences are very much dependent on what is happening around the world. And we thrive to come up stronger with each challenge and always having a plan B and if needed a Plan C to overcome any challenges and ensure client sa sfac on.

MS. You are organizing 7th edi on of India Associa on congress 2019. What are going to be the highlights of this edi on?

Prasant. We are excited about the 7th edi on of IAC.

Exclusive Interview This year we have a dedicated theme“Interconnected World of Associa ons” which will examine important ques ons such as Collabora on Without Fear, Communica on between Associa on and Government, Cross Cultural Concerns, Coopera on not Protec onism etc. Visit our website to know more h p://indiaassocia oncongress.com/congress-topics/ Lately we can no ce that poli cs try to make the global coopera on more stringent by imposing tariffs and igni ng fear.

We see that in this difficult scenario associa ons play a crucial role in minimizing the nega ve impact and see globaliza on as an integral part of development.

MS. What according to you is the impact of India Associa on Congress?

Prasant. India Associa on Congress returns already with its 7th edi on, which means that the industry is in need of such a congress where the associa on leaders come up on a common pla orm and discuss opportuni es and challenges from Na onal as well as Interna onal perspec ve. IAC has been a ended previously by top industry leaders and the number is increasing each year.

MS. How do you manage and maintain work life balance?

Prasant. This is a common scenario with each individual. I try to manage both in a sustainable manner and maintain balance by constantly pushing myself to work and rest more effec vely.

MS. Where do you see your organiza on presently as compared to other compe tors?

Prasant. CIMGlobal is in the industry for more than 20 years and each year it is reaching new heights and trying to outgrow itself making itself be er ever than before. Compe on is what keeps our industry awake and always ready for new challenges.

MS. What are strategies undertaken by CIMGLOBAL to make a customer sa sfied and to build long term rela onships?

Prasant. We are commi ed to providing our clients with the highest quality and most professional management services available in the industry. We have been privileged to have extended our services to various government organiza ons, educa onal ins tu ons, trade bodies, associa ons as well as mul na onal corpora ons. Our services are exceedingly professional and excep onally planned to ensure that your organiza onal objec ves are achieved. We determine goals, create value and deliver results on a per project basis.

MS. What are your upcoming plans? What keeps you awake at night?

Prasant. Growth and Expansion is in my plans. And disrup on is what keeps me alert.

MS. What are your success habits? Three things to achieve success in this business.

Prasant- One should always s ck to the mantra i.e., Innovate,

Deliver and Repeat. We thoroughly believe in this and try to cater to our clients in a be er way.

MS. What according to you are the challenges and the opportuni es in MICE industry?

Prasant. Opportuni es are unlimited but there is a challenge every me. India has a great poten al to a ract the MICE market as of now and the percentage of incoming MICE business is s ll very small compared to other des na ons. MICE industry builds the global coopera on, spread of innova on and be erment of whole society. India should definitely take the most of it by being ac ve and taking advantage of available resources and talents.

MS. What kind of support do you feel, that the Government should provide in promo on of MICE industry?

Prasant. To promote the MICE industry the government is helping in easing the Conference Visa process, transparency in regula ons and permit process and more interna onal promo on in each industry.

MS. What is your take on technology? How do you integrate technology in your events?

Prasant. Technology is an inseparable part of our event industry and we give great importance to it. That’s why we have developed our own event technology solu on and have a dedicated team to cater all related needs in a shortest me.

A Quick Rapid-FireMS. Recent Book you read?

Prasant. Fac ulness by Hans Rosling.

MS. Your Favourite Cuisine when you travel?

Prasant. Thai Cuisine.

MS. Your Favourite “Ghar ka Khana”?

Prasant. Khichdi.

MS. Your Favourite Holiday Des na on?

Prasant. Thailand.

MS. Your Favorite Quote?

Prasant. “Happiness doesn’t result from what we get, but from what we give.”

MS. Inspira on in your Life?

Prasant. My Father.

MS. Your kind of Music?

Prasant. Sufi.

MS. Your Favourite sport?

Prasant. Running.

33 | August | www.miceshowcase.com

Exclusive Interview

MICE SHOWCASE TALKS TO AMIT JAIN, FOUNDER - RISING STAR TOURS AND TRAVELS MS. India has become a hugely popular des na on in recent years.

According to you, what are some key steps which have contributed to its growth?

Amit. Infrastructure and networking has been improved. Ministry of Tourism has taken a plethora of ini a ves and so, law and order has also been improved over a period of me. Recently, Finance Minister announced that the Government is going to develop 17 iconic tourism sites into world class tourism des na on. Further, the alloca on of Rs. 100 lakh crore for infrastructure development will also boost the Indian travel and tourism industry. Secondly, as Indians have started travelling overseas, people abroad are now understanding about India and its diverse cultures in a be er manner.

MS. What role has social media played in branding India as a trendy des na on?

Amit. Social Media has boosted and helped India to gain a lot in this sector. Social Media is very instrumental in promo ng India's travel and tourism industry and government has also taken various decisive steps in this direc on. Recently, it has launched a digital repository of tribal art and culture; folk songs, photos and videos about their evolu on, place of origin, lifestyle, architecture, educa on level, tradi onal art, folk dances and other anthropological details of the tribes in India are stored.

States too, are promo ng cultures and places through social media channels.

MS. India has hosted several high-profile press trips. How do you measure the impact of these campaigns and whether or not they result in increased visita on?

Amit. For the benefit of whole tourism industry, Influencers play a pivotal role, their mass reach is leveraged and an impac ul message is conveyed. In addi on, various literary and cultural fes vals, conferences in IT and healthcare sectors are also providing the right impetus to the industry.

MS. What is your biggest challenge today as the player in Indian Tourism?

Amit. The majority of players in the sector are unorganised and significant percentage of the industry is s ll unregulated. Being an ac ve player, one has to be very trustworthy in the market, but the mistakes of small players affect the whole industry. So, retaining people's trust is the toughest challenge which we successfully meet through our fair and quality services. The industry needs to have centralized rules and regula ons for the tour operators as the promises made by tour operators on

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unrealis c things malign all the tour operators’ image and industry.

MS. Is funding an issue when it comes to marke ng in India?

Amit. For established players like us, funding is no more an issue as we enjoy high trac on and market value. But, for small and unorganised businesses, funding is a big challenge, not only to promote their services but also to run business smoothly.

MS. How do poli cal issues in the region impact tourism?

Amit. People prefer safe des na ons. They avoid exploring poli cally unstable places. Fortunately, India has improved a lot on this front.

MS. Please share in detail about your recent ini a ve Amit. From millennials to elderly, traveling has always been a preferred choice. It is always a situa on, which stop someone to take it passionately. The visually impaired people are deprived from the experience of travelling, one of the major reasons is the lack of volunteers. There are 2-3 companies who provide the volunteers but the price is very high. RSTT is working on exclusive mobile based applica on, and the main purpose of this app is to be able to connect the beneficiary to the volunteer as per his requirements and within the laid parameters of the app and the Governing Law of the Country. The monetary involvement is not there in the whole process which makes it unique and dis nc ve. The words HELP and SUPPORT are associated with the community but it is not necessary that always money is to be involved. The person can use an applica on through mobile where V.I. (Beneficiary) and Volunteer both have to log in with their personal details. Their preferences related to Language, Time, special Requirement etc. will be recorded. They will be allowed to make an account there with Unique Username & password for the 1st me (Registra on). I want to give V.I. a sense of fearlessness freedom to travel through this ini a ve.

MS. Biking road trips are trending today. What are the facili es provided to this kind of adventure and what are the safety norms being provided to tourist?

Amit. Yes, adventure tour ac vi es are all- me high and biking is certainly the most favourite adventure tour ac vity. Along with men, it is ge ng immensely popular among women too. But, it is the responsibility of tour operators to comply with the safety guidelines prepared by Adventure Tour Operators Associa on of India. Basic safety and opera ng standards pertaining to biking are – Drivers Licence, the adequate experience of riding in all types of terrains in India, drivers must have basic knowledge of the working and repair of a motorcycle, valid first aid and CPR cer fica on, adequate computer skills and ability to handle/ operate a GPS, basic map reading skills and ability to use a compass, and adequate know-how of traffic rules, etc.

Personal Blog

Dr. Mario Hardy was appointed as Chief Execu ve Officer of the Pacific Asia Travel Associa on (PATA), the not-for-profit membership associa on that catalyses on the responsible development of travel and tourism within the Asia Pacific region, in November 2014. Dr. Hardy has 30 years of experience in specialised avia on businesses focusing on data analy cs and technology, coupled with several corporate leadership capaci es. Excerpts from his personal blog; o you wake up in the morning, watch or listen to the news and become overcome with a sense of despair? Chances are your daily percep on of the world is shaped by the global challenges and issues promoted by mainstream mass media. But that is not the full story.

In the grander context of human evolu on, every year has been ge ng progressively be er. Today, we are living longer and healthier lives, living condi ons are generally improving, and the world is more peaceful than centuries ago. However, both our main news sources and the audience it serves have been dispropor onately fixated on the nega ve stories.

Fortunately, there are people in the world like me who prefer to be architects of the future and have a strong desire to find a sense of purpose. It is well known that I am passionate about technology and, while some people want you to believe that technology is the downfall of human civilisa on, I believe that it is and can be used for the be erment of humanity. As a ma er of fact, there are technological solu ons currently in

PATA has lost its sense of iden ty and purpose or that we are con nuing the same mistakes as in the past. To those naysayers, I say look closer and focus on the posi ve outcomes that the organisa on has achieved over the years and is s ll doing today. For the past decade, I have witnessed PATA grow in importance, influence, and presence on the global tourism scene. The organisa on is as purposeful as it was 68 years ago and possibly more in this me of uncertainty and vola lity.

existence helping to solve each one of the UN SDGs, unfortunately they are simply not yet accessible to all or evenly distributed.

Some of you may know me as a successful investor in the field of FinTech, GreenTech, A.I., and the FMCG sector, with a vast number of businesses under my por olio. Nevertheless, I have found a sense of purpose while leading the Pacific Asia Travel Associa on (PATA).

For 68 years the Associa on has been helping des na ons and tourism organisa ons responsibly develop in the fastest-growing tourism region in the world, helping to create jobs and generate income for those in need.

PATA is non-profit trade associa on comprising members from both the public and private sectors. As you may have no ced I highlighted the word “trade”, as PATA was founded by private sector individuals who saw the opportunity and need to build and grow their business. Today, the organisa on s ll serves that purpose for those who are willing to engage with our members and the industry at large. Some media organisa ons want you to believe that

To progress, you need purpose and I have found mine. I remain fully commi ed to the long-term financial sustainability of the organisa on and its con nued relevance in the responsible and sustainable development of the travel and tourism industry in the Asia Pacific region.

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This emphasis on bad news is detrimental to our sense of empowerment as a species.”

Raya Bidshahri, Founder & CEO, Awecademy.

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Exclusive Interview

MICE SHOWCASE TALKS TO PRIYANATH BEHERA, VICE PRESIDENT - CHOLAN TOURS PRIVATE LIMITED MS. India has become a hugely popular des na on in recent years. What has contributed to its growth?

Priyanath. Increased air connec vity and opening of many interna onal brand hotels in major des na ons are the key contributors.

MS. What role has social media played in branding India as a trendy des na on?

Priyanath. With more mobile penetra on and increased internet connec vity, India has emerged among the largest user base for almost all major social media pla orms. In such situa on even if a targeted marke ng promo on is not run, any major ac vity in India gets good visibility juts because of numbers of check ins or pictures shared or tags trended. Pictures of Indian monuments are among the most shared ones on Facebook & Instagram. Now Tourism Ministry has also shi ed its major focus on marke ng des na on India on social media. Collec vely all these things are helping and will do so more in future in making India a trendy des na on.

MS. India has hosted several high-profile press trips. How do you measure the impact of these campaigns and whether or not they result in increased visita on?

Priyanath. Under Hospitality Scheme of Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India, country regularly hosts individuals & groups from press & media of different countries. Apart from this states also on their level make similar efforts, Kerala Tourism's Blog Express is worth men oning among all. All these trips help as when the media persons and bloggers when share their experience on online & offline media & social media pla orms, it helps not only in promo on of the India as a des na on but also in doing away with whatever nega ve brand percep on people might have based on half or incorrect informa on. So we are of the opinion that such trips, even if their direct impact is not measurable, are necessary for promo on & publicity of India as a preferred des na on.

MS. What is your biggest challenge today as the leader of Indian Tourism?

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Priyanath. NRIs living in other countries are our main challenge because they don't portray a posi ve image about our country.

Also, India as a des na on has been made very expensive a er the implementa on of GST @ 28% on five star hotels. This is a major drawback for Indian Tourism as the price eventually becomes very high for a tourist, who then prefers to travel to other Asian countries where prices are very compe ve.

government is working on increasing “theWhile connec vity to Himalayan des na ons, we need to keep in mind that many places there are eco-sensi ve and a sustainable & ecofriendly approach must be adopted while developing and promo ng tourist des na ons there.”

Exclusive Interview MS. Is funding an issue when it comes to marke ng India?

Priyanath. Yes, because Government hasn't recognized MICE as an industry yet.

MS. How do poli cal issues in the region impact tourism?

Priyanath. Tourism is among most vulnerable industries and gets impacted by even minor happenings. People travel for leisure, they would never travel to the places which are even slightly troubled or have probabili es of so. Anything happening in region will have direct or indirect impact on India. For example, when few Japanese tourists were killed in Bangladesh, India also suffered with a major downfall in Japanese tourists that and following year. If tension between India and Pakistan rises, nega ve Travel Advisories are issued by the countries. Had the poli cal rela ons between India and China would have been friendly, both these countries won't ever require any other country for business such market size we both have. China is the largest outbound travel market in the world but India is the country ge ng the least benefit out of that in en re region and poli cal reasons are the biggest factor behind that.

MS. Please tell us about your journey in this industry.

Priyanath. We started with 1 staff in 1998 and we now are 400 + members in the company. We have got 14 of our own branch offices throughout India. We are the only South Indian Company to have received 4 Na onal Tourism Awards from the Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India. We are the only travel company in the world to have 'Live Online client Reviews' that shows the feedback of every client (unedited) before their departure. We were rated by CII as one of the top 25 Innova ve companies in India. We also won the CII Industrial Innova on Awards 2016 in the category of “Service – Medium Enterprises”. We were selected for the Top Service Provider in Southern Region (Gold) award for the year 2016-17, by the Ministry of Commerce, Govt. of India & the Honourable Vice President of India Shri Venkaiah Naidu presented the award. We won the Best Service Provider in Southern Region (Gold) award from the Ministry of Commerce for the year 2014-15. We won the Hall of Fame Award 2019 from the Online Travel Forum 'Trip Advisor' a er having received con nuously 5 mes the Cer ficate of Excellence award from them, for the highest posi ve reviews received from clients since 2014.

it make you apart from other companies?

Priyanath. We are unique in every aspect. None of our staff have worked in any travel company, including me. It's a policy of the company to recruit only freshers and we train them based on our requirements. So we are not a copy of any travel company in the industry. Our working style is unique in every ways. This is our USP & it does make us stand apart from others.

MS. India is a vast country and well defined geographical en ty, Himalaya range lies in its geographical boundary, a holiday des na on a rac ng tourist from across the world. What are the challenges of mountains which stops tourism to grow in a right pace?

Priyanath. We are truly blessed with cultural as well as geographical diversity. While government is working on increasing the connec vity to Himalayan des na ons, we need to keep in mind that many places there are eco-sensi ve and a sustainable & eco-friendly approach must be adopted while developing and promo ng tourist des na ons there. Few des na ons are already vic ms of over-tourism in Himalayas and are causing harm to the ecology there while many beau ful des na ons are lying unexplored. Approach must be to spread the tourism in sca ered des na ons rather than pu ng load on few selec ve des na ons. We should not focus on numbers when it comes to the promo on of tourism in Himalayas.

MS. Do you par cipate in any exhibi on? How is exhibi on helpful for a company to grow?

Priyanath. Yes, we do regularly par cipate in selec ve exhibi ons. Par cipa on in exhibi ons not only add into brand visibility and networking but also helps in keeping ourselves updated with market trends & sen ments. In each exhibi on we return with some new learnings and of course new business leads too.

MS. How do you see MICE industry in India?

Priyanath. India is among the largest economies in the world and is an important market for corporates across the world. But we have not been able to leverage upon such advantages and have not yet u lised our exis ng poten al, let alone the increasing the poten al. We need to work in mul ple areas like upgrading the infrastructure, increasing the government ac ve & financial support, marke ng & PR to make it a proffered MICE des na on.

MS. What is the USP of Cholan Tours Private Limited? How does

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Exclusive Interview

MICE SHOWCASE TALKS TO ANMOL PANCHOLY, DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING - NOVOTEL HYDERABAD CONVENTION CENTRE & HYDERABAD INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE With a flexible event space of 1, 00,000 sq. . and the largest hall of South Asia which can seat over 6,500 guests at once, we have catered to many pres gious events such as the NASSCOM Indian Leadership Forum 2018 etc.

MS. Hyderabad Interna onal Conven on Centre is one of the well-established Venues in India. Please tell us about the facili es provided by you that make it apart from other venues.

Anmol. Opened in 2006, our 15-acre complex at Hyderabad is a very unique preposi on with the only purpose-built conven on centre in India- Hyderabad Interna onal Conven on Centre (HICC), with an interconnected 5-star hotel Novotel Hyderabad Conven on Centre. In terms of its architecture, func onality, and size, HICC was built ahead of its me. It is a true mee ng point, with the largest pillar-free hall in South Asia which can comfortably seat more than 6,500 guests at once, 37 flexible breakaway rooms, lawn and gardens to accommodate plenary of any large global conference.

The main pillar-free hall has 40 . high ceiling and can be divided into six smaller halls with moveable panels. The hall also features retractable sea ng which can convert the hall into an indoor stadium/ auditorium. Addi onally, a dedicated porch, with a grand entrance leading to a huge foyer helps easy movement of a large gathering. Mul counter recep on and a well-organized registra on area with 16 terminals can be used to create a wonderful arrival experience for conference delegates. In addi on to closed door mee ng venues, the complex also features well-manicured lawns and gardens for themed, casual networking dinners and social gatherings. This helps the host to plan different experiences within one venue, without the hassle of heavy logis c requirements.

Novotel Hyderabad Conven on Centre & HICC thrive to be the one stop solu on for all MICE requirements. Our 15 acre complex designed like an urban retreat in the middle of the busy HITEC city, con nues to be the preferred choice of MICE organizers.

MS. Please tell us something interes ng about the incep on of your venue as a MICE Des na on.

Anmol. The incep on of Novotel Hyderabad Conven on Centre & HICC took

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Exclusive Interview

place when in 2004 India's Prime Minister and Finance Minister, a ended the Asian Development Bank Conference and wished to host the ADB Annual Meet- 2006 in India. At that me India didn't had any professional conference venue to host such large event. The Andhra Pradesh (now Telangana) government con nuing their progressive approach, came forward, joined hands with Accor group who was looking to mark their footprints in India and together built a required conven on venue, one which was fully equipped to host large MICE events.

The design structure of Hyderabad Interna onal Conven on Centre (HICC) was done following interna onal conven on centres, which are func onal in nature and caters to various types of conferencing requirements. Similar to interna onal conven on centre, HICC was internally connected to a 5-star hotel Novotel Hyderabad Conven on Centre to accommodate guest stay, dining op ons and recrea onal facili es. This unique proposi on of conven on centre with 37 breakaway halls, 65,000 sq. . pillar-free hall and an adjoining hotel, was built ahead of its me and ll date is the only purpose-built conven on centre in India and one of largest MICE provider.

The venue got ready in record me and it so happened that an event marking the contribu on of oversees Indian communityPravasi Bhara ya Divas Conven on became the very first event of HICC which tool place in January 2006, followed by 39th Annual Meet of Asian Development Bank in May2006.

MS. What number of MICE events is organized at Hyderabad Interna onal Conven on Centre in a year? Please Name some big MICE events organized at Hyderabad Interna onal Conven on Centre?

Anmol. The year 2018 was an immensely successful year as we hosted over 1400 events and we look forward to grow our revenues by 8-10% in 2019. In the coming year 2020, we target to further expand our visibility and footprints in na onal and interna onal MICE markets. With the significant increase of MICE events hosted here at HICC, we have become the des na on of choice for events of all genres, ranging from culture, art, business and lifestyle.

With a flexible event space of 1, 00,000 sq. . and the largest hall of South Asia which can seat over 6,500 guests at once, we

have catered to many pres gious events such as the NASSCOM Indian Leadership Forum 2018,The Interna onal Block Chain Congress 2018, World Congress on Informa on Technology (WCIT), World Cargo Associa on (WCA), Inter-speech 2018, The SIP Prodigy 2018, Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) 2017, 19th Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Summit (RCEP), 24th Congress and General Assembly of Interna onal Union of Crystallography (IOCR), Interna onal Conference on Technology for Development (ICT4D), 10th World Stroke Congress, 57th Public Mee ng of Internet Corpora on of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), Conven on of Biodiversity Diversity (CBD), ICCA World Congress 2011, World Metropolis Congress, Harvard Model United Na ons India Conference and many more. These events have not only contributed to revenue and business but have built a reputa on for HICC as a MICE des na on in India for global organizers and associa ons. This has helped posi on India on the global MICE map as well as a rac ng in poten al business that contributes to the success of HICC. MS. How do you u lise technology and innova on to engage your MICE guests?

Anmol. Technology is an indispensable part in organizing MICE events. Guests rely on advanced technology as an essen al parameter to conduct their events with a pace that matches their expecta ons. It is important to streamline communica ons and logis cs according to their expecta ons and remain relevant to the latest developments in MICE telecommunica ons. HICC is designed to cater to a plenary of global MICE requirements with a flexible event space of more than 1, 00,000 sq. . Features like; 40 feet high ceiling, rigging point with heavy suspension capacity, organizer suites, retractable er sea ng, in-built sound system, 16 desk registra on terminal, huge foyer and a lot more facili es ensure smooth opera ons and successful MICE events.

Further, we have six transla on booths to support mul country conferences, a roo op catwalk, rigging points with heavy load bearing capacity, mul ple service pits with power, water and internet supply, and a 100% power backup which make it a smooth ride for any event organizer Keeping comfort and privacy in mind, a separate lounge for VIP delegates and organizer suites for private workspaces are also available at the venue. All of the mee ng rooms have state-of-the-art

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Exclusive Interview infrastructure, design, technology, and telecommunica ons& AV equipment for our guests' convenience.

MS. What is your view about sustainable development? What is the latest trend used at Hyderabad Interna onal Conven on Centre which makes it way ahead from other venues?

Anmol. Since its incep on, Novotel Hyderabad Conven on Centre & HICC have set the standard for contemporary luxury and warm hospitality. Guided by the principles of 'Planet 21'- a sustainable development program by Accor Group, the property emphasizes on adop ng best prac ces to reduce the adverse effect on environment and community, and save natural resources.

Driven by various ini a ves like Herb and Hydroponic garden giving organic produce for the restaurants, in-house compost machine to produce manure from food waste and thereby using pes cide free fer lizer in the lawn and gardens, sewage water treatment plant helping to use recycled water for more than 5 acre of landscape, various ini a ves to save energy and water and using the saved amount to plant the trees under 'Plant for Planet' program of Accor. Hotel also encourages guests to reduce their carbon footprints and save energy and water by reusing the linen whenever possible during their stay. We also use eco-friendly fair trade ameni es, request guest to reduce plas c bo le usage during their conference and offer alternate solu on. The dedicated team at property also helps guest customize and convert their mee ngs into a green mee ng.

MS. What differences do you see between the MICE sector in India and Abroad?

Anmol. India is progressing fast to make its mark on the global MICE map. However, it is a fact that our country has s ll a lot to achieve. Key differences between the Indian and global MICE sector are outlined around factors such as a dearth of advanced technology, infrastructure, and high cos ng arrangements. To

explore the true poten al of MICE segment and increase our share in Global MICE, India has to come up with requisite infrastructure, connec vity and tech coupled withstrong strategies to promote India as a MICE des na on, all at a very high pace in order to catch up with other countries who are leveraging this segment widely.

MS. How do you see Indian MICE Industry?

Anmol. India is increasingly transcending to a des na on of choice for business travellers from across the world. The MICE industry is a niche factor contribu ng to the Indian tourism segment that is leading to a manifold rise in the number of outbound business, luxury and MICE tourists.

With the growing poten al of MICE for the local and na onal economy, the industry is set to experience significant growth over the decade. The robust start-up ecosystem is beginning to drive mid-scale and large, innova ve MICE projects in India. In the past decade, Novotel Hyderabad Conven on Centre & HICC has been integral to the growth of MICE, helping catapult Hyderabad to the top 4 MICE ci es in India.

HICC has supported many conferences pertaining to the field of informa on technology, bio-sciences, compu ng, health-care and tex les. Associa ons and bodies dedicated to these fields have begun to explore India as a des na on for global summits because of the networking opportuni es the country presents, its tourism-friendly image and most importantly, the availability of purpose-built venues like HICC. MS. What are the opportuni es in the MICE sector?

Anmol. The Indian tourism industry is set to experience a significant growth over the coming decade with the growing poten al of MICE sector for the local and na onal economy.

MICE compe on is increasing and it is the right me for our economy to benefit from the upwards curve.

Exclusive Interview Be er coordinated and planned efforts between central and state governments can facilitate the growth of MICE contribu on in the global tourism market. The development of MICE focused venues and func onal spaces like HICC will allow MICE operators to choose India as a des na on for renowned mee ngs and conferences. These steps act as a significant push factor to market India as a global MICE des na on. Vigorous par cipa on in global MICE fairs and expos will be the key to build awareness and to showcase what India has to offer.

Further, exis ng hotels and conven on facili es should join hands in promo ng India as an ideal MICE des na on.

Involvement in large numbers will communicate a cohesive promo onal effort and commitment to the industry. The developing start-up ecosystem is significantly boos ng innova ve MICE projects in India with both the Central and the State government inves ng in MICE related infrastructure.

MS. As a venue, how much of your business comes through MICE? Anmol. If we look at our complex featuring hotel and conven on centre, 65%-70% of our total business is generated from MICE segment.

MS. What privileges do you offer for MICE guests?

Anmol. The ease of doing business at HICC is definitely one ley aspect which our guest rely on. Benefi ng our loyal patrons and businesses who plan mee ngs with us, we have mul ple brand loyalty programs like Le Club Accor Hotels- a stay based loyalty and reward program, Le Club Mee ng Planner- specifically designed to reward and recognize the mee ng planner and organizers. The benefits offered as part of these programs can be redeemed all across the globe with Accor Hotels and create a more welcoming se ng for our guests. We always believe that one needs to remain relevant with changing mes and trends and keeping our guests dynamic requirements in mind, we have recently refurbished the hotel have launched a vibrant new social hub – Food Exchange. HICC will also witness cosme c changes that will help us keep up with the trends and our guests' expecta ons. With all the new advents, our endeavour remains to make every guest's stay and visit to our property a comfortable one. Customiza on has been the key to our success so far and we con nue to work on closely understanding the nature of each conference, its origin, and a endees' preferences in order to curate a successful event.

MS. What are your upcoming plans?

Anmol. At HICC, being an interna onal MICE venue of this size and func onality, we not only compete with other hotels and ci es but with global MICE venues. With par cipa on in interna onal road shows, MICE fairs, hosted buyer programs, we con nue to expand our presence on relevant networks, organizing media FAMs for global media support and enhanced PR and dedicated digital campaigns. With our complex featuring hotel and conven on centre together, we were one of the early movers to understand and capitalize the MICE segment in India.

Our collabora ve efforts with the state government, PCOs and Hyderabad Conven on Visitor Bureau, help us to reach a larger audience promo ng Hyderabad as a des na on for global MICE and dis nguish ourselves from the compe on.

We are also working closely with authori es, governing bodies, and bureaus in order to promote Hyderabad and Telangana as a tourist friendly des na on to a ract more MICE business to the city. At our hotel, contemporary business travellers can look forward to a unique conferencing experience at HICC along with a range of rejuvena ng op ons at the adjoining hotel Novotel Hyderabad Conven on Centre, which comes with mul ple dining des na ons, a fully-equipped gym, spa and a magnificent outdoor pool alongside lush greenery that provides the perfect se ng for those seeking a balanced lifestyle with their stay. Not only HICC is the largest MICE venue in India, but the ease of organizing any event at HICC is one of the key factors for associa ons and businesses to choose us.

MS. What kind of challenges you face in this sector which you would want the government to address urgently?

Anmol. As men oned earlier, the strategic development of Infrastructure, connec vity, technology and communica on and cohesive efforts by Central and state government, tourism board, hospitality player and airlines to create a more hospitable scenario for global businesses and associa ons to choose India as MICE des na on. Restoring, developing and promo ng the unexplored heritage and tourism in various parts of country will help a lot in increasing the contribu on from both MICE and leisure travellers.

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Exclusive Interview

MICE SHOWCASE TALKS TO RANJAN BANERJEE, GENERAL MANAGER CROWNE PLAZA, OKHLA MS- What is your take on the MICE Industry and as a leading can ensure that we get more and more people, if we handle our hotel, how are you equipped to handle MICE events?

MICE events very well in India.

Ranjan- I would like to go on two different tangents - one, how MS- What are the major events that your hotel has hosted in the Delhi is placed and the second, how we are placed. As far as recent past?

Delhi is concerned, the MICE presence in Delhi is extremely RanjanIn the Crowne Plaza Okhla, we have hosted interna onal promising, booming and going great so far. The reason why I say events like Fair trade, which is a biennial event happening every so is because, we have the India Expo Mart Limited, a conven on two years across anywhere in the world. The year before last, it centre in Dwarka coming up and the Praga Maidan is gearing was with us, and this year, it is going to be in South America. up, which should be opera onal in next two years and of course, They went very happy from us. Also, we had hosted a big MSME very close to our hotel, we have the NSIC conven on centre, event of the Government of India. And apart from that, we have which is in the heart of South Delhi. several interna onal exhibi ons which keep on happening So what we now require is, a push from the government to ensure that interna onal MICE events come to Delhi. As we saw the last year, or every alternate year, we have the Auto expo, then we have the gi s expo or the handicra s expo. What came in a big way was the CPhI- the pharma expo, held last year.

So while all this is happened, we need more to sustain the tempo in the city. And that can only happen as the me grows, with the different hotels, the Des na on Management Companies(DMCs) who organize this and these centre where conven on happen, come together on the same pla orm. We have to make India value proposi on and Delhi also a super value proposi on. Otherwise we s ll hear that people go to HICC in Hyderabad.

See, I am not saying that they shouldn't go anywhere else in India, they should; but what value do we give to organizers when they come to Delhi or India per say.

For example in our hotel or any of the Crowne Plaza for that ma er, we are all geared up because we say 'we are the place to meet'. When we say 'we are the place to meet', we have a specialized division and that specialized division is for business travelers who are travelling for success and we there to compliment and support them in their success. For that we have a different wing or a different sec on We have the 24 hours within our department of sales and marke ng which we call the ‘Crowne mee ng team’. The Crowne guaranteed wake-up call, as in mee ng team is headed by a specialized by a the guest wants it any me, Crowne Mee ng Direc or, who is assisted by an Associate Director and then you have Crowne we ensure that you will get Mee ng Manager and Crowne Mee ng Associates. the wake-up call at whatever So we have a full-fledged team like this in all of our me, be its 5 am in the morning Crowne Plaza hotels. So if you walk into any of the Crowne Plazas in India or interna onally, you will or 2 am in the midnight.” know that we are all geared up to meet any such challenge. And we actually welcome more and more such events. So when we say India is growing, this is the way one of the big promising segment, which

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Exclusive Interview whose delega ons come and stay with us.

MS- What kind of support mechanism you have in place which you provide to the organizers and corporate who organize their events in your hotel?

Ranjan- Well, including me the en re team is there to handhold the event organiser right from the day one where the query comes in and we ensure, that we reply back to the query within two hours. The two-hour response me is so very important for any Crowne Plaza. So when you have a great start, then deďŹ nitely everything falls in place within the expected me limit.

And when we maintain me for any of our client- be it domes c or be it interna onal, I think that is the least we all as well as the client look forward to. And then we give various op ons to the mee ng organizers besides the mee ng. For example, when you have a mee ng for four days, three days or even for two days, in today's changing world wherein execu ves who are coming here, they want to be in a fresh state of mind, always at on the go so that they are learning and then they are delivering. So therefore we say, all these travelers are traveling here for success. So we as a team of hotel have to ensure that when they go out, they are successful.

We ensure that star ng from the day, which starts from the hearty breakfast and the breakfast menu is never the same, we make sure that on a daily basis, as it could be a three days or four days mee ng where delegates come in across the world.

And we ensure that the menu of the breakfast has something or the other for every na onal of the world, which appeals to their taste-buds. So we have the interna onal cuisine which has around 62 items of which 20-odd items keep on changing on a daily basis. Then when you go to the mee ng room, our mee ng-rooms have access to the fresh light. So fresh light is so very important in today's world where we see even our medical professionals constantly telling that fresh light and sunshine are so integral to good health. Also, some mes for select mee ngs you need dierent venues, that venue could be, say a garden.

We have a jet garden where you have the green grass. So many of our mee ngs have happened wherein the organizers wanted their team members early in the morning to feel the morning dew, which is great.

India Expo Mart and Praga Maidan where a lot of interna onal events are happening every other day. So, do you also focus that their delegates come and stay at your hotel? Do you have some incen vized rates for them?

Ranjan- As you know, in today's world, nobody can hold on to their rates. It's an extremely dynamic world. So we are as compe ve as any of our compe tors. When we talk of rates, it's a total value proposi on. We give the services that are worth it.

We give you the best of Crowne Plaza services, the sleep advantage. We ensure the sleep advantage so that they are refreshed for their work. Although it might sound very basic, but usually this is overlooked. We have the 24 hours guaranteed wake-up call, as in the guest wants it any me, we ensure that you will get the wake-up call at whatever me, be its 5 am in the morning or 2 am in the midnight. So this guarantee is a part of our Crowne plaza culture.

MS- How is MICE sector shaping up for you over the past couple of years? How the number of events have been going at your hotel?

Ranjan- I would say, we have been very fortunate and it's a growing segment for us. MICE is around 27% of our business, which is a huge thing. So MICE and corporates go hand in hand.

It is extremely promising and talking of the government support, we already have it in the form of e-Visas. For all the interna onal delegates, it has become highly convenient.

MS- Lastly, in one word what does Crowne Plaza stands for?

Ranjan- It stands for Service, it stands for travelling for success.

MS- How do you make sure that other ameni es are in place like light and sound and other miscellaneous suppor ng equipments?

Ranjan- I think those are very essen al. So when I talk of op ons, it is li le out of mundane. Otherwise 10 years back mee ngs used to be in a room, with very regulated lights. Just a mic and may be a screen. But today the life has changed and as I just said earlier, we have mee ngs in our swimming pool, jet garden or in a setup which is like a restaurant, so that you can reign in your imagina on and come out successful a er that mee ng. So as far as this Crowne Plaza are concerned, it's a fantas c opportunity for any mee ng organiser to u lise our full range of specialized services.

MS- And as you rightly said earlier that we have big venues like

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Exclusive Interview

MICE SHOWCASE TALKS TO JEAN-MICHEL CASSÉ, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER (COO) – INDIA & SOUTH ASIA, ACCOR MS. Accor has one of the most well-established hotels in India and abroad. Please tell us about facili es provided by the group that makes it apart from other venues in terms of MICE capabili es.

Jean. Accor caters to all kinds of MICE ac vi es across budgets – from weddings, music fes vals, to small mee ngs and large corporate events. Most of our Accor proper es in India are equipped with state-of-the-art facili es to cater to the needs of the guests. This includes using A/V technology, drop drown ceiling lights, maximum u lisa on of the floor space, plug and play from laptops and tablet devices onto high resolu on ceiling projectors, quality sound systems, etc. all of which enable a greater experience. Our hotels have mul ple op ons to choose from large mee ng pillar-less halls, pre-func on areas, open lawns and other venue op ons. Our event teams, food and beverage team and the hotel staff are extremely well-trained and experienced to execute events for all kinds of budgets and at various scales.

In certain markets, such as Hyderabad we have been the leaders in bringing the largest and state-of-the-art MICE facili es. Built over a decade ago, the Hyderabad Interna onal Conven on Centre has played an integral part of the growth of MICE in India.

As one of the only purpose-built conven on centres in India connectedto a five-star hotel, Novotel Hyderabad Conven on Centre features the largest pillar-free hall spanning over 65,000 sq. . with a ceiling height of 41 sq. ., and can comfortably accommodate 6,000 guests at once, which is a unique proposi on. With over 1,00,000 sq. . of flexible event space, the venue features a large pre-func on foyer, registra on area with 16 terminals, 37 break-away rooms, including specialized mee ng rooms, speaker preparatory rooms, boardrooms, and VIP lounge well suited for parallel sessions. Organizers suites, in-house AV assistance, business centre facili es and a dedicated event planning team to make every event a success. Also, recently we have launched Sunshine Coast Conven on Centre at Novotel Twin Waters Resort in Australia. The new-build venue has enough capacity to house 200 trade stands at once and offers a choice of six different dynamic mee ng and event spaces across 3300 Sqm.

MS. Please tell us something interes ng about the incep on of your venue as a MICE des na on.

Jean. Accor has 51 hotels in India and South Asia and as men oned earlier, most of our hotels across the country are equipped to host MICE ac vi es. We have been able to bring interna onal branded hotels to various ci es and along with that MICE experiences. Our hotels are present in markets that are selected based on pre-defined parameters. We ensure those markets iden fied are growing hospitality markets, have posi ve business sen ments and posi ve traveller preferences and travel trajectories. This has enabled us to offer a breadth and depth of MICE services across varying budgets our array of interna onally acclaimed brands, which fit varying budgets.

MS. What number of MICE events is organized at Accor in a year?

Jean. Each year we host mul ple MICE events across Indiathese vary from weddings, business mee ngs, conferences, company off-sites and event music summits. Some noteworthy examples include SS Rajamouli's son's pre-wedding func on at Fairmont Jaipur, hos ng India's leading badminton player Saina Nehwal's wedding at Novotel Hyderabad Conven on Centre, we have also been partners at the MTV India Music Summit at Fairmont Jaipur for 3 years in a row.

MS. How do you u lise technology and innova on to engage your MICE guests?

Exclusive Interview by 2020, we wish to reduce our CO2 emissions. To monitor this, all Accor proper es track their energy targets on a monthly basis through an intelligent cloud-based tool, ensuring we are on the right track.

Jean. As stated earlier, our hotels are equipped with state-of-theart technological equipments. To be er serve our guests, we also have on-ground events teams who support our guests to ensure their events are successful. Our teams are equipped to cater to various food requirements as well as ready to fulfil any bizarre demands that our guests may have especially during weddings.

MS. What is your view about sustainable development? What is the latest trend use at Accor which makes it way ahead from other venues?

Jean. Accor has one of the most successful, efficient, comprehensive and ac ve sustainable development ini a ves, Planet 21. Most of our proper es also have solar panels or wind turbines installed. Our hotels use locally sourced fresh produce, have banned endangered seafood produce, promote waste recycling and use eco-labelled products only. We have completely eradicated plas c straws and s rrers and progressively making best efforts to replace other disposable plas cs with more ecological products is also a priority. We also implement these during events held across all our hotels. Accor is currently working towards finding a solu on to get rid of the single use plas c water bo les. Our 2019-20 priori es comprise of elimina ng single use plas c from the kitchens, plas c laundry bags and implement food wastage solu ons across.

All Accor proper es in India have achieved Pla num Level – the highest globally recognised standard of sustainablity. Each of our proper es are green buildings, which help in minimizing the overall impact on the environment through the efficient use of energy and water and the use of environmentally friendly prac ces during construc on of the structure. We con nuously strive to decrease our carbon footprint on the environment and

MS. What differences do see between the MICE sector in India and Abroad?

Jean. India as a MICE des na on and the availability of interna onal standard facili es is on the rise. Currently, India is catching up with other interna onal loca ons – in terms of the size of the venue, technological advancement and even be er domes c and interna onal connec vity. Having said that, India has been hos ng several large-scale events. The India Conven on Promo on Bureau (ICPB) is already taking necessary steps in order to ac vely promote MICE in India. Be er coordinated, concerted and planned efforts between the central and state government will be instrumental in facilita ng the growth and improvement of MICE movement in India.

Development of MICE-focused venues and func onal spaces will allow MICE operators to choose India as a des na on for renowned mee ngs and conferences. Infrastructural progress including increased connec vity to emerging er II ci es will surely have a posi ve impact in promo ng these upcoming des na ons among MICE organisers thereby bringing in more mee ngs and events to India.

MS. How do you see Indian MICE Industry?

Jean. The Indian MICE industry has been growing significantly in the last few years. Weddings, music related events and corporate events are some of the most popular MICE events.

Venues like Hyderabad Interna onal Conven on Centre and,and others in various ci es such as Greater Noida, Lavasa, Kochi and Ahmedabad are enabling the growth of MICE in India. We are seeing greater demand for both domes c and interna onal MICE events and the sector is expected to grow at an average of 7 percent to 10 percent and mee ngs above 500 guests are expected to grow from 74 percent in 2018 to 80 percent in 2019.

To further boost the MICE segment in India, Accor has entered into an agreement with Incen ve, Conference & Event Society Asia Pacific (ICESAP) to jointly launch the first ICESAP Agency Accredita on Scheme and the Cer fica on in Incen ve, Conference and Event Management, a distance-learning programme for the business events industry. As the principal partner, Accor will work with ICESAP on improving training standards, suppor ng educa on and advancing best prac ces throughout the MICE segment which is growing in India. The accredita on from ICESAP provides the industry with a consistent set of standards to follow and a strong founda on for raising the quality and professionalism of organisa ons in the hospitality industry.

MS. What are the opportuni es in the MICE sector?

Jean. The MICE segment in India has great poten al. Strong economic growth in India is driving impressive growth in the event's space in India. According to a recent report by FICCI,

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Exclusive Interview the MICE segment as well. Improved connec vity, investments infrastructure and developments for larger and be er MICE facili es are all already underway. Adding to that, to promote India as a favourable MICE des na on, e-visa's and other such ini a ves are also boos ng MICE in India. However, ease of securing licenses, clarity on taxes, and further investments in marke ng and communica ng various des na ons in India require some a en on.

MS. What kind of support systems do you have for an event organiser?

Jean. At Accor, most of our proper es have internal events team as well as provide full support to external agencies.

Daniel Chao, GM Novotel and ibis Chennai OMR and Jean-Michel Cassé, COO, India & South Asia, Accor Hotels.

tourism in India is expected to grow at a much faster rate than in past years. Of the total 12,563 interna onal mee ngs in a year, India hosts only 175 – or just 1.4 percent to rank 24thworldwide. India has aprice compe ve offering in addi on to over 30 interna onal airports, mul ple cruise ports and one of the largest railways and roads network. We are also expanding MICE spaces and building mor e and be er infrastructure to cater to this segment.

MS. As a venue, how much of your business comes through MICE? Jean. MICE segment is very integral part of our business as most of our hotels in India are MICE hotels and it contributes around 22-25 percent to our revenue.

MS. What privileges do you offer for MICE guests?

Jean. We have internal even teams as well as collabora on with external event agencies to fulfil all needs of our guests. Our chefs do a wonderful job in preparing the food and beverage menu various events. Technical teams, ground staff and all the hotel staff are trained to fulfil every demand of the guests.

Moreover, Le Club Accor Hotels, Accor's popular loyalty program gives members access to the most exclusive offers and events.

As a part of this, guests can become members of Le Club Accor Hotels Mee ng Planner which enables them t o earn points for every event they organize. They can also choose from 2,400 hotels worldwide that specialise in hos ng professional mee ngs and events, from luxury to economy. As a Mee ng Planner member, guests benefit from exclusive services and individual support throughout their stay and event.

MS. What kind of challenges you face in this sector which you would want the government to address urgently?

Jean. The Government has been promo ng and inves ng in mul ple schemes and ini a ves that directly and posi vely impact the hospitality and tourism industry, thereby enabling

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MS. What are your upcoming plans?

Jean. Accor has recently announced a strategic interna onal partnership with Meetago® for our core mee ng and events business. Meetago® provides booking and so ware solu ons in the MICE sector. The Accor and Meetago partnership aims to make booking and managing conferences, events and business mee ngs faster, more global and more efficient for hotels and event organisers. It will make mee ng demand from corporate customers easier and will promote the con nued interna onal expansion of the mee ng business.

Through this partnership with Meetago, we are responding to growing demand from our corporate customers. We are providing more comprehensive and efficient services with a higher level of digitaliza on to the conference industry This collabora on will also provide individual solu ons for events and par cipant management for small mee ngs and large business events and will cater to more than 1,600 mee ng hotels worldwide. Meetago's state-of-the-art mee ng tool will ensure a secure booking process for conference planners.

Global News

Sky Is The Limit As TCEB Works To Stage 'Thailand Interna onal Airshow'

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hailand Conven on and Exhibi on Bureau (TCEB) - Business is looking to stage a Thai edi on of the 'Interna onal Airshow' as it con nues to create business opportuni es in 12 key industries under Thailand 4.0 model to a ract the world's most iconic events to the Kingdom. TCEB recently commissioned to conduct a 'Thailand Interna onal Airshow feasibility study' for staging the show at U-Tapao Rayong Pa aya Interna onal Airport in the Thai government's 'Thailand 4.0 - EEC' (Eastern Economic Corridor) ini a ve.

Mrs. Nichapa Yoswee, TCEB's Senior Vice President - Business said "The study is now complete, covering the global overview, regional market poten al, industry feedback, compe ve landscape, Thailand's EEC development and the government's Thailand 4.0 ini a ve. It also offers recommenda ons for Thailand to stage the event and economic impacts." On domes c front, TCEB held industry hearing among stakeholders of the local avia on industry, both in the public and private sector, to iden fy Thailand's poten al and strength in staging air show and its economic impacts. Besides the feasibility study and domes c industry hearing, TCEB visited Farnborough Interna onal Airshow in UK in 2018, Bahrain Interna onal Airshow and Paris Air Show in 2019 to get an overview of how to a ract major air show events to Thailand.

Mrs. Nichapa said the ac on plan to stage Thailand Interna onal Airshow enhanced TCEB's role as 'co-creator' under its Thailand Redefine Your Business Events branding, which aims at genera ng business opportuni es in the 12 industries under Thailand 4.0 economic model. "Avia on is one of the

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The Thai government plans to upgrade U-Tapao Rayong Pa aya Interna onal Airport to establish it as the third main interna onal airport in Thailand.”

priority sectors behind the country's Aerotropolis ini a ve and MRO hub and it corresponds with the expansion of UTapao Rayong Pa aya Interna onal Airport in the EEC," Mrs. Nichapa added.

In 2018, Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang Interna onal Airports handled a total of 634,011 flights, up 5.79% and handled a total of 103,378,371 passengers, up 7.39%. The Interna onal Air Transport Associa on (IATA) has listed Thailand among the top ten countries with the highest air traffic volume in the next 20 years.

To keep up with demand, the Thai government plans to upgrade U-Tapao Rayong Pa aya Interna onal Airport to establish it as the third main interna onal airport in Thailand. This will help to be er facilitate the establishment of a Special Economic Zone in an cipa on of EEC expansion. In addi on, it will be served by high speed trains linking U-Tapao to Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi Airports and is expected to be completed by 2023, strengthening Thailand's regional avia on hub status.

Air Show in India The first edi on of the air show was held

in 1996. During this Aero India Show, many manufacturers and service providers from the Indian aerospace and avia on industry meet the poten al buyers of their products. A er 1996, the 4th edi on of the air show took place in 2003. About 176 exhibitors from 22 countries all over the world came to grace the show. In the year 2005, more than 380 par cipants came to the Aero India show's 5th edi on.

In this show, many military and civil aircra as well as aerospace products were displayed. The 2007 Aero India show was held at Yelahanka Air Force Sta on in Bangalore in Karnataka. The 7th edi on was held from 11 to 15 February 2009, and included 592 exhibitors from over 25 countries. The eighth edi on started on 9 February 2011.

Recently, Aero show in India had to face two tragic incidents, one was the mid air collision of two Hawk trainer jets occurred at Bengaluru's Aero India show, in which one pilot lost his life, and other was fire at parking lot in which more than 100 cars gu ed at the parking space of the Aero Show 2019 in Yelahanka Air Force Sta on, Bengaluru.

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Global News

Sri Lanka Appealed To Online Travel Agencies To Cut Commissions To Help Revive Tourism

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he Sri Lankan Government aims to not leave any stone unturned in the process of reviving the tourism industry.

Offering free tourism visas on arrival, reducing airline charges to encourage carriers to reinstate flights, and asking online travel agencies to cut commissions are some ini a ves undertaken by Government.

But the ques on remains that how reasonable is it to expect the likes of Expedia and Booking groups to cut commissions as part of recovery efforts?

And how effec ve is such a measure as waiving visa fees in bringing back tourists, especially from a market like China, which is also being pursued by a slew of other countries that has eased visa policies?

Impacted by the Easter Sunday bombings on hotels and churches in Colombo, the government is trying to match excellent private sector work to push one of its top three foreign exchange earners. Since August 1, it has waived visa fees typically cos ng $20 to $40, for ci zens from 48 countries, including top three sources India, China, and the UK. Further, plans to slash ground-handling charges, avia on fuel

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prices and embarka on fees to encourage airlines to return have been in force beginning this month. Both programs are reportedly for a period of six months. Sri Lanka Tourism Minister John Amaratunga also told local reporters he was going to meet representa ves of global online travel agencies to request that they reduce commissions for a period of me, according to a report in the local Daily News.

IN SUPPORT OF SRI LANKA In support to revival of Sri Lanka's tourism sector, many have put forward their views. Robert Hauck, who has just returned to Munich a er his pos ng as general manager and area vice president of Galle Face Hotel and Ceylon Hotels Corp said, “Online travel agencies should reduce their commissions during a 12 to 18 months recovery period to support Sri Lanka to get back onto its feet, this would send such a strong message to the world and make a huge impact and I am sure this gesture would not be forgo en

by Sri Lanka. Ac ons are more meaningful than just words,” he said.

“We received overwhelming support from interna onal media and tour

operators. Sadly we didn't see that from OTAs,” said Hiran Cooray, chairman of the Jetwing Symphony and The Lighthouse Hotel. “In a way that's understandable since there's no heart and soul in the online world. I wish they had come forward and proposed a reduc on rather than government or associa ons having to ask for a reduc on. On the contrary, of late, Booking.com has started charging a 15 percent commission on the 10 percent service charge for staff as well. This is sad. “Our le ers to them have gone unanswered so far and those who objected or refused to pay, have been warned by them saying, they will be suspended,” said Cooray.

Specula on Remains Between Increasing Awareness Or To Cut Commissions The specula on remains between two points, whether increasing awareness or to cut commissions would work as remedy. What is the point of commission cuts if travellers aren't booking in the first place? “One obvious but impac ul way that we help des na ons rebound is to help them increase awareness — either once they are ready for the spotlight or in the case that they were never actually impacted by a nearby disaster,” said Hamblin.

“Without awareness-building, poten al travelers might not have realized that a full 70 percent of the Caribbean was untouched by the 2017 storm season,” he pointed out.

The online travel agency most recently worked with the Jamaica Tourism Board to increase winter business, Bahamas Tourist Office to bump up package bookings, and various hotels within the Dominican Republic for bookingsfocused joint campaigns. “One way that we can give des na ons an advantage is by helping them understand which regions travellers are considering alongside theirs. Des na on marketers are o en surprised to learn that their compe ve landscape includes distant des na ons with a wide variety of characteris cs,” said Hamblin.

Global News

Boeing Apology Tour Con nues With Crash Of Two Boeing 737 Max Aircra Earlier This Year

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oeing has been on something of an apology tour as the crisis deepens following the crash of two Boeing 737 Max aircra earlier this year. With no real metable for the return of the aircra to service, regaining the trust of the global corporate travel sector is a major issue for the aircra manufacturer.

At the Global Business Travel Associa on's 2019 Conven on in Chicago held on 5th August 2019, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg worked hard to assuage corporate travel's creme de la creme that everything is going to be just fine. Half the audience in the banquet hall, however, headed for the exits as his name was announced.

“Certainly the situa on with the Max has been a tough one,” said Muilenburg.

“We con nue to have deep sympathy for the families and loved ones affected by these two accidents. It has reaffirmed and driven us to con nue to focus on safety as a core focus for our company;

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The crisis has also had a major effect on airlines which relied most on the model; American Airlines will re re fewer aircra , for instance, and some na onal carriers like Icelandair have been hammered with losses following cancella ons.”

we are working hard on the Max and making good progress.” Boeing's future prospects are somewhat uncertain as the global grounding of the 737 Max series of aircra con nues on. Some considera on has been given to changing the aircra 's name to avoid future branding problems as the company works to fix the tech flaw that caused the two crashes.

service in the early fourth quarter. The Max will be one of the safest aircra ever to fly.”

The crisis has also had a major effect on airlines which relied most on the model; American Airlines will re re fewer aircra , for instance, and some na onal carriers like Icelandair have been hammered with losses following cancella ons.

Travel managers, as well, have indicated their travelers are unlikely to fly on the aircra in the future. Muilenburg assured the audience of travel buyers that everything will be just fine.

“This is a challenging situa on and the respect and confidence of the flying public is extremely important to us,” said Muilenburg. “We know trust has been damaged over the past few months and we are working hard to re-earn that trust and rebuild that confidence for the future… I have personally flown on two of [our] flight tests.

“We are making so ware updates to the Max, we have worked our way through that,” said Muilenberg, detailing the efforts Boeing has made to get the plane recer fied. “We plan to submit that cert package in September and return to

We know we have work to do and regret the impact it has had on you and the flying public.” It's unlikely a scripted chat with Boeing's CEO will do anything to change the minds of travelers who don't want to die on their next business trip.

Global News

India To Generate More Than 2 Million Outbound MICE Tourists By 2020 The Indian outbound Mee ngs, Incen ves, Conferences and Exhibi ons (MICE) tourism market is expected to reach US$ 9 Billion by 2025. Touted as India’s premier business pla orm, The 7th Annual MICE India & Luxury Travel (MILT) Congress will gather global suppliers who are looking to capitalize on India’s booming outbound travel and tourism sector.

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he 7th Annual MICE India and Luxury Travel Congress is back yet again with a carefully curated program designed for world class travel & hospitality partners to do business with top corpora ons, most prominent associa ons, biggest film produc on houses, top travel agencies and premium des na on wedding planners. In a span of seven years, the MILT congress, organized by Dubai-based QnA Interna onal, has become India’s premium pla orm that gathers the movers & shakers of the MICE, corporate and luxury travel industry.

trends of the MICE industry, Stephanie Tanpure, VP of Sales, Sands China Limited commented, ‘We are projec ng a very buoyant 2019 as far as mee ngs and events. I think the Global mee ng and events industry should also expect some great results next year. We are not only seeing more and more events, but the average size of these events are growing. At Sands Resorts Macao we are par cularly op mis c about the an cipated growth in MICE over the next two years and we remain hopeful to increase our Indian customer market share’.

India’s outbound MICE tourism market is expected to reach US$ 9 Billion by 2025, and in 2020 India is expected to generate more than 2 Million outbound MICE tourists. Emphasizing on the growth

Commen ng on how Indian corporates con nue to spend big on corporate travel and the immense poten al of exploring great opportuni es in Geneva, Jonathan Willi, Corporate Sales Manager,

Geneva Conven on Bureau said, “India is one of the fastest growing outbound tourism markets in the world and the MILT Congress is an ideal pla orm to provide great networking opportuni es within the industry experts.” Medical tourism in Geneva is seeing increased business from India and Health and wellness tourism is one of the most profitable and growing tourism segments in the Geneva Lake region.

“We have experienced a lot of interest from India in the last two years and see Indians as a dis nct visitor group with their own unique characteris cs, interests and needs.”

Sri Lanka is at the epicenter of South Asia and at the central point between Asia’s economic powerhouses. The Lanka

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Global News country is strategically capitalizing on its MICE poten al and looking at India as its number 1 source for MICE & luxury travel. The economic & poli cal rela onship between the two countries and enhanced air connec vity, less travel me, increase in income and trade transac ons are posi vely encouraging the development of this industry. Mr. Kumar De Silva, Chairman, Sri Lanka Conven on Bureau said “India is an important market for Sri Lanka for developing MICE in terms of numbers, value and also connected services.

We have witnessed a surge in India MICE arrivals during the past years. We are looking forward to our par cipate at the 7th MILT Congress and meet with leading MICE Outbound Travelers, agents, DMCs, Corporates in India with the objec ve of promo ng MICE tourism in Sri Lanka. Apart from that SLCB would expect to have an understanding about the Indian MICE market and buyers’ requirements in order to develop MICE strategies for developing MICE tourism.”

The rise of incen ve travel in the sphere of corporate travel is opening a new dimension of opportuni es for travel and hospitality suppliers around the world. “Last year alone more than

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30,000 tourists from India visited Kazakhstan, which is double of what we witnessed in 2017. As the world is ge ng closer to each other, modern avia on is making the world a smaller place. Kazakhstan is growing economically, owing to the rising number of MICE and Luxury travels,” added Assem Kozbagarova, Director, Skyway Travel.

Business tourism represents about 20% of global tourism and Mauri us is well posi oned to promote MICE niche. MICE buyers see great poten al in Mauri us as it has the infrastructure and superstructure to cater for MICE groups all year-round combining quality and style. The quality and variety of accommoda on, the a en on to detail in service delivery, state-of-the-art conferencing venues, and the vast number of addi onal ac vi es on offer all guarantee genuine value for money.

“Mauri us has a long reputa on as being a perfect luxury lifestyle des na on and has successfully built its reputa on over decades to posi on itself as a des na on that combines quality, elegance, sophis ca on and professionalism to enable groups to have a ‘MICE in style experience’ on the island,” said spokesperson from Air

Mauri us & MTPA. “MICE con nues to be robust & we visualize Indian MICE operators & guests would look for hassle -free fine & luxury travel des na ons like Mauri us.

Mauri us is a rac ve in terms of accessibility, good frequency from Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore,” he added.

Underlining the emergence of newer des na ons and changing preferences, Sidh NC, Director, QNA Interna onal commented “Another trend we are witnessing is the diversifica on in terms of outbound MICE & luxury venues and facili es. There is now a growing demand for MICE events as well as luxury weddings to be held in dis nc ve, o eat venues such as cruise ships, vineyards, and opera houses with a range of entertainment and ac vi es thrown in to make sure the experience is a memorable one for all present.

The MILT Congress, therefore presents an ideal opportunity for global travel and tourism players to tap into the diverse trends and growth drivers shaping India’s outbound MICE and luxury travel industry,”

Exhibition September Travel & Tourism Fair-Ahmedabad

TexIndia

30 Aug-01 Sep 2019 (GUCEC), Ahmedabad, India

12-14 Sep 2019 India Knit Fair Association, Tiruppur, India

Fashionista - Kanpur

Delhi Book Fair

03-05 Sep 2019 Hotel Royal Cliff, Kanpur, India

11-15 Sep 2019 Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India

India Surface Treatment & Finishing Expo

Gem & Jewellery India International Fair

05-07 Sep 2019 Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India

13-15 Sep 2019 Chennai Trade Centre, Chennai, India

Coat India

Photo Today

05-07 Sep 2019 Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India

14-15 Sep 2019 Sri Sesha Sai Kalyana Vedika, Vijayawada, India

Media Expo-Delhi

Professional Beauty Mumbai

06-08 Sep 2019 Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India

16-17 Sep 2019 Bombay Exhibition Centre (BEC), Mumbai, India

Access Masters Delhi

Renewable Energy India Expo

08 Sep 2019 Le Meridien New Delhi, New Delhi, India

18-20 Sep 2019 India Exposition Mart, Greater Noida, India

The Haat Kolkata

Food & Hotel India

06-09 Sep 2019 Ice Skating Rink, Kolkata, India

18-20 Sep 2019 Bombay Exhibition Centre (BEC), Mumbai, India

Access MBA Bangalore

WATEREXPO-HYDERABAD

10 Sep 2019 Taj MG Road, Bengaluru

19-21 Sep 2019 Subham Convention Centre, Hyderabad, India

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