Kochi out to tap MICE tourism potential

Kochi: Can MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing and Exhibitions) be a turnaround for Kerala tourism in the coming years? The Kerala Travel Market (KTM), the biggest biennial tourism meet in the state, to be held in the city from Sept 18 to 20 this time, will try to project Kochi, along with Wayand, Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur as destinations for MICE.

According to Abraham George, president of KTM, Kochi has excellent convention centres that can together accommodate upto 5,000 delegates. “The potential here is great. We need to package it well so that the destinations get international attention. The KTM 2014 will make a beginning in this regard,” Mr George told Deccan Chronicle.

The recent decision of the state government to cut luxury tax for convention centres and marriage halls from 20 to 10 per cent is also expected to boost the Kerala destinations.

Mr George pointed out that MICE destinations are picked by organizers of international meets through bidding. “We definitely have a competitive edge in terms of cost and ambience of destinations. Apart from the three big convention centres (Le Meridien, CIAL and Gokulam Park), the city will get the Lulu Convention Centre in another two years. Lulu centre is expected to be one of the biggest in South Asia,” he said.

The international market for MICE is estimated to be $260 million and India’s share in it is a meager $5 million. Top Indian MICE destinations include Gurgaon, Pune, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

Apart from MICE, KTM 2014 is focusing on the theme ‘Kerala Village’ and is also projecting the state as an ideal spot for destination weddings.