Emphasising on the construction of state-of-the art exhibition and conference complexes in various parts of the country, Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Friday said India is all set to emerge as the "MICE capital" of the world.
MICE or 'Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions' refers to business and tourism driven by mega events.
"After 2014, India has shown a tremendous growth curve in infrastructure, be it the construction of roads spanning over 1,50,000 km, new railway stations, semi high-speed trains, inland waterways and more than 150 operational airports. All these have contributed to India's prowess with regard to MICE events," Shekhawat said.
"The confidence was also built following India's hosting of the G20 Summit. The entire world is now looking at India with awe and curiosity. In times to come, India will emerge as the MICE capital of the world," the minister said.
Shekhawat was addressing a gathering at the inaugural session of a two-day event -- 'Seminar on India: The Land of Exponential Growth' -- organised here by the Indian Exhibition Industry Association (IEIA), the apex body of the exhibition industry in the country.
New segments of tourism are getting developed, in which MICE tourism is the most important and the fastest-growing segment in the country, he said.
Exhibition and conference infrastructure, which have come up across the nation, including in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Jaipur and even small cities, post the G20 meets, indicate that India is "standing at the threshold of strong possibilities for this sector," a statement issued by the tourism ministry quoted Shekhawat as saying.
In his address, Shekhawat emphasised that the government and the private exhibition industry have to "work together" to make India "a centre of MICE tourism".
Several events happening globally can be calendarised and brought to India, he said.
Besides being a destination, the country is also becoming a big exhibition and conference hub with planned expansion in road, aviation and railway sectors along with expansion of the conference and exhibition segment, he said, adding, "The country has a great future for economic growth." About 700 leading industry players and decision-makers from the exhibition sector are expected to attend the two-day event hosted at the Bharat Mandapam.
"The event acts as a one of its kind, meaningful platform for business networking, knowledge exchange, and discussions on the emerging trends shaping our industry's future," Sooraj Dhawan, president, Indian Exhibition Industry Association (IEIA), said.
"We urge the government to declare October 1 as 'National MICE Day' to further boost the morale of this industry," he added.