India offers incentives for MICE planners
NEW DELHI – The India Convention Promotion Bureau (ICPB) and the Ministry of Tourism have agreed an incentive scheme to help India’s MICE sector win more international business.
In a first for Indian tourism, the ministry will provide financial support, through active ICPB members, to the end bidders of events proposed for India.
Rajeev Kohli, ICPB vice chairman, said the bureau’s research and feedback from its industry members has shown that for a country to win a bid for an international conference, it must incentivise and motivate domestic associations and key decision makers in bodies that have international counterparts or members.
“The private sector alone cannot bid for an international association event. That impetus has to come from the India-based members.
“ICPB and its members have been providing technical support in making bid documents, presentations and other knowledge,†Kohli said.
“However a roadblock that has been bothering us for some time was the actual financial ability of our India-based associations or other key decision makers in going overseas to make a bid.â€
In order to boost MICE tourism, and to bring international conferences to India, the Ministry of Tourism will extend the benefits under the Marketing Development Assistance (MDA) Scheme to ‘Active Members’ of India Convention Promotion Bureau to assist bidding for international conferences
Under the scheme, associations and societies would be given financial support on winning the bid or for obtaining second and third positions in the bidding process based on the number of participants attending the conference.
The Ministry of Tourism has made the India Convention Promotion Bureau the nodal agency for steering the scheme..
Meanwhile, the fifth “Conventions India – the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Events Conclave†is being organised for May 1-2 2009 at Hyderabad International Convention Centre with the support of the Ministry of Tourism.
With the aim of strengthening the brand positioning of `Incredible India’ as a MICE destination, buyers from overseas are being invited to meet with suppliers from India’s MICE industry and experience the product for themselves.
Ian Jarrett
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