The southern Indian state of Kerala is planning to establish a city-level MICE Promotion Bureau in Kochi to attract more business events.
The Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) Society, a non-profit organisation comprising private industry stakeholders to promote the state, has formally requested the tourism department through a letter to initiate a pilot bureau in Kochi.
“We will take the proposal for the city MICE promotion bureau forward after the conclave. A high-level meeting with the tourism minister (P.A. Mohammed Riyas) is planned, where we will pitch the idea. We will also evaluate possible incentives to attract more business events,” Sikha Surendran, director of Kerala Tourism told TTGmice on the sidelines of the Kerala Wedding & MICE Conclave which took place between August 14-16 in Kochi.
Kerala’s interest in forming a city-level MICE Promotion Bureau comes at a time when India’s Ministry of Tourism is encouraging states to establish such entities. The ministry is currently reworking the entire support framework for business events in the country.
“The approach we are taking is that the state must first set up a city-level MICE Promotion Bureau. If the state government identifies a conference it wishes to attract and commits a certain amount of funding towards it, the government of India will match that contribution dollar-for-dollar.”
Suman Billa, additional secretary of tourism, emphasised the need for a unified strategy to attract major conferences to India. He noted that other global cities, including Dubai, Melbourne, and Frankfurt, have found success with similar models.
Kassab brings more than 20 years of experience in hospitality. He was previously general manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Suzhou, where he oversaw the hotel’s opening and operations. Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles with Marriott International, managing luxury brands across Asia-Pacific and overseeing operations in Singapore, Malaysia and the Maldives.
In 2023, he joined Minor Hotels as cluster general manager, overseeing Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas, the launch of Avani+ Fares Maldives, and the introduction of NH and NH Collection brands in the Maldives, leading signature experiences while driving sales and revenue strategies.
