Tourism News

MICE and wedding tourism looking bright for Kerala

Published in Newsletter Issue No. 247 - March 2014

Kerala plans to make weddings and corporate events an essential part of the State's tourism policy. To promote the State as an exclusive destination for MICE and Wedding Tourism, Kerala Tourism is planning to launch a dedicated micro-site for the same. Mr. A. P. Anilkumar, Minister for Tourism informed this while taking part in ‘Destination Kerala’, a conference organized by Times of India Group with the support of Kerala Tourism in New Delhi recently. 

"MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) is one of the fastest growing segments in the tourism industry, generating millions in terms of revenue. It gives me immense pride to say that Kerala is not far behind. What makes our State an attractive MICE destination are the unconventional and conventional meeting options that it offers. Besides picturesque backdrops, there are several options for post-conference tours and activities in Kerala," said Mr. A. P. Anilkumar, Minister for Tourism.   

"No other destination offers such diverse and inspiring settings for weddings and at the same time for honeymoon. Recently the State government has reduced the luxury tax from 20 per cent to 10 per cent for convention centres and auditoriums and during the off-season months the luxury tax on hotels has been reduced from 12.5 per cent to 5 per cent," added the tourism minister. 

"Kerala has some of the country's best picturesque backdrops for meetings and conferences that go well with an impressive array of accommodation, leisure and other conference-support options," said Mr. Suman Billa , Secretary, Kerala Tourism.