Naveen Kundu – Tourism Breaking News

India’s MICE industry is expanding at a healthy rate of 8–10% annually, driven largely by domestic corporates and associations. However, the bigger challenge lies in attracting inbound MICE, which remains underdeveloped, according to Naveen Kundu, Founder, Tourism Futures.AI. He highlighted that nearly 26 million Indians travel abroad annually, with 25–30% linked to MICE. In comparison, India welcomes only 8–9 million foreign visitors across all categories.

“Unless we grow inbound MICE, we miss out on significant foreign exchange and global positioning,” he said.

Corporates currently split budgets between domestic and international destinations, with a strong preference for short-haul hubs like Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, and Dubai, citing better infrastructure and visa ease. Despite rising volumes, per person MICE spends have stagnated, limiting profitability for operators.

Kundu stressed the urgent need for large-scale convention infrastructure in destinations like Goa and Kerala, stronger marketing through India’s overseas missions, and meaningful state-level action. While the G20 Summit showcased India’s capacity, he said, the momentum was not leveraged.

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