As the Indian capital and hub for many industry sectors, Delhi NCR has the right infrastructure to welcome association meetings, but poor government support is dulling the destination’s shine
The new Indian central government that took over the reins last year has failed to meet the aspiration of professional conference organisers (PCOs) looking to promote Delhi NCR as a destination for international association events. Some industry stakeholders also rue the lack of effort from the local state government, which is making it difficult for the region to realise its true potential.
“The new government had expressed its commitment for the tourism sector (but) there has been no policy announcement for the conference industry. The Indian Convention and Promotion Bureau (ICPB) still doesn’t get any support from the ministry of tourism in bidding for international association events. There is also a lack of effective marketing for association business,” said Chander Mansharamani, managing director of Alpcord Network Travel & Conferences.
According to the 2013 ICCA Statistics Report, which looked at the performance of countries and cities in hosting global association meetings, New Delhi stood at 65th position with 35 meetings, way behind neighbouring cities like Bangkok (20th position, 93 meetings) and Kuala Lumpur (33rd position, 68 meetings).
“There are great expectations of the new government. Prime minister Narendra Modi was instrumental in hosting business events with overseas delegates while he was chief minister of Gujarat, so we feel that there is someone at the top who thinks conventions are important,” said Lalit Chadha, director-business development, MCI Management India. “But (since the new government came into power) there has not been many government-level events like United Nation meetings.”
Chadha added that “the industry must also make an effort to help the government realise the importance of this business”.
While the new government had established a system last November that allows citizens of 43 countries to apply online for a travel visa to India, conference delegates are not able to enjoy the scheme.
Swadesh Kumar, vice chairman of ICPB, told TTGassociations that discussions had been held with the government on the possibility of extending the e-visa facility to conference travellers.
“The government has assured (us) that it will be considered,” said Kumar.
While Kumar lamented that the “ground realities remained unchanged for India’s convention industry”, he admitted that the new prime minister had succeeded in creating “an investment friendly environment” which had changed the world’s “perception that India is a difficult destination”.
“The world is now thinking of India in a positive way,” he remarked.
Meanwhile, some PCOs are critical of the Delhi government which they said have done nothing to attract association business to the capital.
“It is the local chapters (of global associations) that have been bidding for meetings. Support from the local government can help business increase exponentially,” said Chadha.
Mansharamani also believes that government support is critical during event bids. He said: “Conferences held in cities like Singapore or Bangkok get support from the local bureau, such as a hosted lunch or dinner for the delegates. There is no such support from the Delhi government, which is a major disadvantage for us when we are trying to attract international association events.”
Kumar told TTGassociations that second tier cities like Jaipur and Bhopal are emerging as strong rivals in the competition for association meetings, thanks to the development of many new hotels and convention facilities.
He noted: “Market growth in Delhi NCR is flat. The world today emphasises on publicity and promotion, but the state government is not proactive in promoting its convention venues.”
Despite these challenges, the massive region continues to be the leading destination in India for international association events, attracting about 60 per cent of such gatherings coming into the country. Most of the meetings in Delhi NCR are in the fields of medical, scientific, education and textile.
Chadha sees Delhi NCR as a natural choice for international association events in India, as it is the capital of India and possesses the necessary infrastructure.
“Many local organisers are based here, and Delhi is the (hub for) healthcare and education (sectors),” added Chadha.
Besides traditional markets like the US and Europe, Delhi NCR is now welcoming more meetings organised by international associations based in Asia-Pacific. The Asia Pacific Association of Medical Informatics and the Asia Pacific Regional Conference Alzheimer’s Disease International were two such meetings held in Delhi NCR last year.
