G20 game changer for M!CE?

M!CE in India has been poised for a second coming. There is an increase in demand for domestic destinations with G20 Summit in sight, opines Naveen Kundu, MD, EbixCash.

Lipla Negi

G20 Summit, likely to be held in Bengaluru in 2023, is a positive development for the country to catapult Indian tourism on to the international stage. The country needs to reposition itself as the biggest M!CE destinations in the world. It is spectacular because India is trying this in every city to demonstrate the government’s intention to market the country as a tourist destination in the world. Ebix Cash has tried its best to refine the M!CE sector in India, which spent the last 25 years redefining the sector. It is proud of anything that occurs in any region across the country when it comes to the industry.

Journey of M!CE

India is a magnificent and diverse country; it is unfortunate that we have not exploited the opportunities to take the sector forward. Big convention centres and spacious meeting halls could have been constructed in many cities and townships and India could have steadily demonstrated its prowess to the world. Sadly, that was not to be. The country lost a lot in the past 75 years in M!CE and tourism, because it lacked the infrastructure, and connectivity.

The Prime Minister said unequivocally the government intends to make improvements in every industry, including tourism, over the next 25 years. Despite this, we are far behind the rest of the world and the closest Asian nations, including Thailand, Dubai, Singapore, and Malaysia, all of which are popular M!CE destinations.

Role of M!CE business

Indian outbound M!CE is currently expanding rapidly. Once the international borders were closed during COVID, the country turned to the domestic market; but as soon as the pandemic impact subsided, we were back on track. According to data, Ebix Cash has completed 105 international groups in addition to around 250 domestic groups during the past two quarters—from April to September. India has an opportunity to earn foreign exchange by luring M!CE to India and retain Indian M!CE.

So, what does M!CE exactly do? M!CE is a type of tourism that directly enhances the economy through the generation of jobs, consumption, and infrastructure. It provides the government with a significant amount of taxation. It is a form of inclusive tourism, and the government can market India as a M!CE destination globally and develop the necessary infrastructure to support it. This is because the economy will immensely benefit in three ways: creating jobs, bringing in foreign exchange, and boosting the economy and consumption. No other sector has a more immediate and positive impact than tourism and M!CE.

Strategy

There are various tourism boards for India around the world. It is quite unclear how much or what they are accomplishing as far as promoting Indian tourism is concerned. It is quite clear that India has not done a good job of it (promoting tourism) and that the economy is paying a high price for setting up these tourism offices abroad. We can now cut back on the size and cost of those overseas offices. The Union Ministry of Tourism should appoint PR and marketing companies overseas to advocate for India, what is available in India, and what it is all about, rather than having the tourism offices’ representatives operate out of the embassy, high commission, or consulate.

Public relations and marketing companies have not been employed by Indian tourism offices abroad. The only activities they engage in are inviting a select few travel agents to roadshows, buy and get them drinks among others, we feel. But the activity should restrict to the travel trade, otherwise how will you connect with the customers, and tourists who will be spending money to visit India? The Incredible India campaign, launched by Amitabh Kant, former Secretary of Tourism, Union Government, gave India a boost, but since then not much has been done. The only way to make a difference is to employ PR and marketing firms in different countries around the world to promote India as a destination, cut down the size of the overseas tourism government offices, and assign a qualified person to sit outside the Indian Embassy.

Revenue generation

M!CE will experience a significant increase in income generation once there are more exhibition centres, convention centres of various sizes, and hotel rooms available to accommodate those centres. Therefore, the fundamentals must be established, including connectivity of the infrastructure, conference centres of various sizes, and exhibition centres. For instance, we have created Aerocity and constructed so many hotels, so much so that it is now a beautiful location. Worldmark One, Worldmark Two, and Worldmark Three are excellent sites with sizeable entertainment zones, but where is the enormous convention centre? The execution of this massive project in India has been excellent, but where is the convention centre? The Dwarka Convention Centre is scheduled to open soon, then one can see how it performs.

The country has a lot to offer with destinations such as Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Puri and getaway cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Bengaluru, and Kolkata. Where are the convention centres, though? Because there is no space in India for large conventions, even the Indian companies must travel abroad to hold such events. There is barely any space in India.

Key initiatives

It is paramount to keep in mind the government’s intentions. India tourism bodies must collaborate. The ministers gathered at the Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in New Delhi’s Chanakyapuri, and it was undoubtedly a great event where they exchanged ideas. But today there is utter silence. There has been no change.

The biggest opportunity we have had at the G20 Summit thus far, where the public and private sectors must collaborate to make a difference. The G20 Summit will put the Indian M!CE industry to the test in terms of food and beverage, entertainment, conference spaces, transportation, professionalism, personalities, and employment. When I say the private sector, I do not simply mean major corporations; every small firms can make a difference and every aspect will be examined.

Silverlining

“The current government is making many declarations that are constructive. We hope that now that they are fully awake, they will involve the private sector, including some seasoned industry professionals, and come together to create a future direction for M!CE business in India.