Other States - Puducherry

Puducherry set to be promoted as a business meet destination

PUDUCHERRY: The Tourism Department is all set to promote Puducherry as a potential MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events) destination. Coming up with a one-stop solution for business establishments planning to hold conferences, the department will provide a wide range of logistics including transportation, accommodation and tour escorts for delegates.

Embarking on the Central government’s MICE initiative in September, the department has chalked out plans to make business centres recognise Puducherry as a potential venue for business meets, conferences and conventions.

“Under MICE, we will arrange logistics and packages for the delegates. We will take care of reception, coordinate transport, accommodation and arrange local tours.

It will be a wholesome experience for business centres, who want to organise conferences in Puducherry,” Director of Tourism P. Mathew Samuel said.

The coastal town would offer a “good change” for people coming for conferences with its “different ambience,” especially for those coming from metro cities, he said. “At one time, we can easily manage 500 to 600 delegates. We have a number of conference and convention halls in hotels here. New centres are also coming up. The facilities will increase in a year or two ,” he said.

Officials of the department said that the first conference under MICE was held in September for the World Health Organisation (WHO). Nearly 140 delegates from the WHO, the World Bank, health secretaries of various States in the country and senior officials of the Union Ministry of Health attended the conference at a hotel on 100 Feet Road and accommodation was spread across various hotels.

Puducherry has been projected as a potential centre for MICE at the World Travel Mart held at London and India International Trade Fair in Delhi. Besides inviting tourists to the coastal town, special emphasis was on MICE, said officials.

“We are also planning to design an exclusive website for MICE with details regarding logistics and facilities,” the officials said. Tie-ups with hotels have been set in motion. There are more than 1,000 rooms available for accommodation.

Apart from the existing hospitality infrastructure and logistics support from the Tourism Department, easy connectivity to Puducherry via East Coast Road has worked to an advantage.

“For the spouses and children of the delegates, we will organise small one-day tours or team-building activities. Local sight-seeing packages will be arranged,” an official said.

Sunil Varghese, Director of Dune Ecobeach Hotel, who had been coordinating with the department, said, “Puducherry has easy accessibility from Chennai. Other cities are already being used for conferences and conventions and people are looking for alternatives.”

Hoteliers like Amitabh Roy, General Manager of Hotel Atithi, said that Puducherry was equipped to organise business conferences. “The airport is coming up and this will help to boost tourism. With banquets and convention halls, Puducherry is a good place for MICE. The accommodation is affordable and this turns economical for companies. Business and sightseeing is combined under MICE,” he pointed out.

After the WHO conference, the Tourism Department awaits the arrival of a ship from the United Kingdom consisting of around 80 delegates, who will go on a tour of the coastal town, the officials said.

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