Hospitality industry eyes long-term gains beyond G20 Summit-led occupancy

Leaders of the tourism and hospitality sectors see the expected cent percent occupancy figures during the upcoming G20 Summit as only a short-term gain, compared to the longer-term impact of the government's decision to hold 200-odd meetings across India in the run-up to the big two-day powwow beginning on September 9. What the run-up to the G20 Summit has done for India, pointed out K.B. Kachru, Chairman Emeritus, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group, is exposing the world to the diversity of our tourism products and positioning the country as a credible MICE (Meetings Incentives Conventions Exhibitions) destination.

In the $876.42-billion global MICE business, India has so far been seen as the poorer cousin in Asia of China as well as the Pacific Rim and ASEAN countries. Now, with the unveiling of the Bharat Mandapam at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi and by showcasing the state-of-the-art convention centres in Hyderabad and Gandhinagar, India rightfully can expect a bigger share of the global MICE pie, said the founder-editor of 'Destination India' and long-time industry specialist Navin Berry. Developing this theme, Satyajeet Krishnan, Area Director (Operations) and General Manager, The Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi, said: "Unlike an Olympics, where the interest in a destination ends with the Games, the G20 Summit will have a domino effect because it is essentially a business summit. I can see a series of business delegations coming to India in the months and years ahead." He added that the Bharat Mandapam, in fact, is a "brilliant showcase" of what India can offer to the world.

Krishnan pointed out that even as the world prepares for the G20 Summit, which, incidentally, attracts more than 40 delegations from the member countries, associations and multilateral organizations such as the World Bank and IMF, New Delhi is all set to play host to the B20, the summit of the G20 business leaders beginning on Tuesday, August 22. Interactions such as these won't stop with the G20 Summit, Krishnan emphasized, noting that business leaders have over the past year been exposed to places in India where they had never been before. As many as 200 ministerial and track meetings have been held across 60 cities in the run-up to the G20 Summit, and these have been attended by representatives of not only the 19 G20 nations, but also nine invitee countries and 14 international organizations.