The 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 corporations, most prominent associations, biggest film production houses, top travel agencies and premium destination wedding planners. In a span of seven years, the MILT congress, organized by Dubai-based QnA International, has become India's premium platform that gathers the movers & shakers of the MICE, corporate and luxury travel industry. India's outbound MICE tourism market is expected to reach $9 billion by 2025, and in 2020 India is expected to generate more than 2 million outbound MICE tourists. Emphasizing on the growth trends of the MICE industry, Stephanie Tanpure, VP Sales, Sands Resorts Macao, said ‘we are projecting a very buoyant 2019 as far as meetings and events. I think the Global meeting 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 is growing. At Sands Resorts Macao we are particularly optimistic about the anticipated growth in MICE over the next two years and we remain hopeful to increase our Indian customer market share' Commenting on how Indian corporates continue to spend big on corporate travel and the immense potential of exploring great opportunities in Geneva, Jonathan Willi, Corporate Sales Manager, Geneva Convention Bureau said, "India is one of the fastest growing outbound tourism markets in the world and the MILT Congress is an ideal platform to provide great networking opportunities 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 distinct visitor group with their own unique characteristics, interests and needs." Sri Lanka is at the epicenter of South Asia and at the central point between Asia's economic powerhouses. The country is strategically capitalizing on its MICE potential and looking at India as its number 1 source for MICE & luxury travel. The economic & political relationship between the two countries and enhanced air connectivity, less travel time, increase in income and trade transactions are positively encouraging the development of this industry. Kumar De Silva, Chairman, Sri Lanka Convention 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 participate at the 7th MILT Congress and meet with leading MICE Outbound Travelers, agents, DMCs, Corporates in India with the objective of promoting 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 incentive travel in the sphere of corporate travel is opening a new dimension of opportunities for travel and hospitality suppliers around the world. "Last year alone more than 30,000 tourists from India visited Kazakhstan, which is double of what we witnessed in 2017. As the world is getting closer to each other, modern aviation 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 Mauritius is well positioned to promote MICE niche.MICE buyers see great potential in Mauritius as it has the infrastructure and superstructure to cater for MICE groups all year-round combining quality and style. The quality and variety of accommodation, the attention to detail in service delivery, state-of-the-art conferencing venues, and the vast number of additional activities on offer all guarantee genuine value for money. "Mauritius has a long reputation as being a perfect luxury lifestyle destination and has successfully built its reputation over decades to position itself as a destination that combines quality, elegance, sophistication and professionalism to enable groups to have a ‘MICE in style experience' on the island," said spokesperson from Air Mauritius & MTPA. "MICE continues to be robust & we visualize Indian MICE operators & guests would look for hassle -free fine & luxury travel destinations like Mauritius. Mauritius is attractive in terms of accessibility, good frequency from Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore," he added. Underlining the emergence of newer destinations and changing preferences, Sidh NC, Director, QNA International commented "Another trend we are witnessing is the diversification in terms of outbound MICE & luxury venues and facilities. There is now a growing demand for MICE events as well as luxury weddings to be held in distinctive, offbeat venues such as cruise ships, vineyards, and opera houses with a range of entertainment and activities 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," The MILT Congress, to be held on July 17-18, 2019 in Delhi and on July 23-24, 2019 in Mumbai, will gather MICE and luxury travel buyers from across the country to meet top international destinations, suppliers and creative partners to share their packages and close business deals. Besides its intimate format of personal, one-on-one interactions and individualized learning, this year's congress is also inclusive of an innovative learning program and networking engagement initiative. The MILT Excellence Awards will be held in conjunction with the congress that aims to honor the creators of magical moments & memorable experiences from the MICE, business and luxury travel industry. — SG
