Indian MICE ‘Chase’ Snake Charmers and Call Centres

India is far more than snake charmers and glittering palaces.  India offers more than bustling call centres and advanced facilities for medical tourism.  India is the vibrant venue for memorable conferences, exhibitions, meetings and incentives, said Rajeev Kohli, Vice Chairman, India Conference Promotion Board (ICPB) and the keynote speaker at a Destination India tourism initiative organised in the Sydney Harbour Marriott Circular Quay by Tourism India, Sydney and the Australia India Business Council.

Co-sponsored by QANTAS, Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces and Jet Airways, the event drew nearly 100 corporate leaders, senior travel industry personnel and media representatives who were told about the latest moves being made by India to position and market itself as a globally recognised MICE destination.

[Pictured right: Rajeev Kohli feels that significant progress has been made in advancing India as a major MICE destination.]

With an 8 per cent GDP growth, a 15 per cent annual growth in exports that will lead to a projected US$300 billion worth of exports in 2015 and with US$230 billion currently in reserves, the robust economy of India is attracting attention from many sectors including the global MICE market.

During his comprehensive multimedia presentation Rajeev Kohli gave a detailed analysis of “one of the world’s fastest growing destinations for conventions and meetings of all shapes and sizes”. 

[The] ICPB believes in being a catalyst for marketing meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions of all shapes and sizes all over the country.  It is a large country and there is a lot to do.  Now when I say India it evokes certain images.  It brings out certain feelings, it touches certain senses and it gives certain memories. 

There are a lot of preconceived notions about India and there are a lot of visuals that you are bombarded with every day.  A lot of movies been made on India so when people think of India they think of elephants, the Taj Mahal, the lovely forts and palaces.  It is an incredible destination and there has been some incredible marketing done on India over the past few years. 

[Pictured: New Delhi remains a preferred conference and meetings destination because of access and facilities.]

We have seen a great increase in tourist arrivals and increased corporate traffic but at least my take on the growth is that today the average westerner is reading about our call centres, our technology, our medical tourism, our savvy politicians.  He’s reading about the hottest growth rates in the world when it comes to an economy.   

It’s no longer only snake charmers, no longer only palaces, no longer maharajas.  Today’s India is getting very, very different news and that’s what the common man understands a lot better and especially for the MICE industry that helps us. 

The average CEO may understand what India is all about but he is also very concerned what will his guests think about India.  Today’s average guest is getting to know the real India, the modern India.  We are a very large destination.  We have over 1.1 billion people.

The bureau considers as an industry [there] are 10 key meeting related cities.  Of course, we can hold an event in any part of the country anywhere.  We have the facilities for events of all shapes and sizes in various cities but as a focus area and as an industry we feel that cities such as Delhi, Jaipur and Agra in the north, Bombay, Goa and Cochin to the west, Calcutta, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Madras to the east form the 10 cornerstones of our Indian MICE industry from a conference and meeting view. 

When it comes to an incentive it changes slightly because the needs of an incentive client are obviously different.  So Delhi, Agra and Jaipur do remain on both the lists but then we add in the fascinating royal cities of Jodhpur and Udaipur in Rajasthan up north.  Bombay and Goa are still there, as well.  These are a few of the key incentive cities. 

Gone are the days when we used to get as an industry seven to 10 nights for an incentive.  Now we are lucky to get four.  Given that, we feel as an industry that we have to adapt to what the client wants so there is more focus on a few key cities that have infrastructure and interest for the client. 

[Pictured: There are numerous options for organising an Indian incentive including a colourful wedding.]

India is an economic powerhouse.  It is today one of the fastest growing economies in the world – neck to neck with China – with an 8 per cent plus growth rate.  Private consumption is growing at 7½ per cent a year, exports at 15 per cent and foreign exchange reserves are over US$230 billion dollars.  These are 2007 World Bank figures. 

This is a far change from 1993 when India was left with virtually only enough money to import oil for a week.   Today as a private sector participant I am sitting on a business that has lost almost 11 per cent of its value because the dollar is the weakest it has been in over a decade. 

The government actually tells us gone are the days when we were bothered how many dollars we have.  Now we have the reverse situation. 

It is a very, very strong and robust economy and very strong and robust economies attract international corporate attention. And that attention brings in not only business but also brings in meetings and incentives. 

Getting to India has never been easier.  We have QANTAS flying direct and Jet Airways in a code share out of Singapore.  And aside from that every other major Asian carrier is flying to the destination.  There are over 50 international airlines flying to the country.  A lot of connectivity gives the option of having two-centre incentives or programmes. 

The country is getting four world class new airports.  Delhi and Bombay will be two of the largest.  Twenty two regional airports are under renovation and major up-gradation.  For the first time in history of India the airports were privatised.  Delhi and Bombay are now under private control and to us as Indians that is a major achievement and a major movement forward. 

What is interesting for us, especially in north India is 2010 October when we have the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.  And that is going to create major infrastructure not only in hotels but meeting facilities.  Just weeks ago, a 12,000 seat convention centre was announced in the outskirts of Delhi which will be ready by 2010. 

Exclusive Report by Thomas E. King, TravelMole’s Travel and Lifestyle Editor