States » EastPosted at: Oct 5 2026 1:20PM


Odisha launches India’s first MICE Incentive Portal to attract business events, experiential travel

Bhubaneswar, Oct 5 (UNI) Odisha has launched the country’s first state-level MICE Incentive Portal, creating a dedicated digital platform to promote the state as a destination for corporate conventions, destination weddings and experiential travel while streamlining applications for financial incentives.
Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, who also holds the Tourism portfolio, launched the portal at a roundtable on “Inputs on Creating Robust MICE Policy for Odisha and Collaborations”, organised by the Department of Tourism in collaboration with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) here as part of the Odisha Travel Bazaar 2026.
The initiative is aimed at strengthening Odisha’s ecosystem for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) and providing event organisers and tourism operators with a transparent and simplified mechanism to access incentives and facilitate projects.
The high-level roundtable,held on Sunday brought together senior government officials, industry leaders and key stakeholders to discuss measures to expand Odisha’s MICE tourism potential and attract national and international events to the state.
Addressing the gathering, Parida said the government’s regulatory framework and incentives were designed to remain transparent and empower private-sector partners to contribute directly to the state’s economic growth.
She said the government was committed to expediting approvals for projects covering MICE events, destination weddings, sports events and cultural heritage initiatives.
“Our dedicated tourism team works tirelessly to actively reach out, follow up and facilitate project approvals, ensuring a seamless journey for representing the changing face of a progressive Odisha,” she said.
Parida also highlighted the growing domestic market for destination weddings and immersive travel experiences, particularly the emerging preference for temple weddings and locally rooted celebrations.
She said Bhubaneswar, known as the Temple City and home to thousands of protected historical monuments, offered considerable potential for creating distinctive experiences for younger travellers and event organisers.
From scenic locations for wedding and event photography to regional culinary tours, Odisha has significant scope for developing high-impact gatherings that combine business with culture and local experiences, she said.
Assuring the MICE and wedding industry of government support, Parida said the state would examine recommendations from the private sector, remove administrative bottlenecks and provide targeted capital subsidies to facilitate investment.
Tourism Commissioner-cum-Secretary Balwant Singh, in a presentation on the Odisha Tourism Investment Policy, outlined commercial opportunities available across the state.
He said the existing policy framework was aimed at creating a business-friendly environment by providing targeted support for heritage, sports and business events, besides facilitating regular investor outreach and expediting project clearances.
Industry representatives said Odisha’s tourism potential extended well beyond conventional sightseeing, with its ancient temples, Buddhist circuits, beaches, indigenous arts and rich culinary traditions offering opportunities for developing new concepts for conferences, incentive tours and experiential events.
Sabbas Joseph, Co-Founder of Wizcraft Group and Chairman of the FICCI MICE Tourism Committee, presented an industry blueprint for leveraging Odisha’s cultural wealth to strengthen its position in the experience economy.
He suggested integrating local customs, artisan traditions and culinary heritage into modern corporate conferences, incentive programmes and hospitality offerings to create distinctive experiences for visitors.
Celebrity Chef and official Brand Ambassador for Odia Cuisine, Ranveer Brar, stressed the importance of cultural authenticity in building Odisha’s global tourism identity.
He said premium travel was increasingly being driven by rarity, cultural integrity and memorable experiences rather than merely high spending.
Brar proposed a comprehensive 100-day mapping campaign to document not only physical venues for events but also local storytellers, traditional recipes, cooks, markets and regional festivals that could enrich visitor experiences.
He said these traditional elements should be treated as the core of the tourism experience rather than as optional attractions and called for greater support to indigenous artisans.
He also suggested providing language and interpretation services to help local communities and artisans showcase their heritage without having to dilute their cultural identity to suit external expectations.
The roundtable provided a platform for policymakers and the private sector to deliberate on infrastructure development, professional service standards and operational guidelines required to attract national and international conventions, incentive tours, destination weddings and experiential festivals to Odisha.
UNI DP
Tags: #Odisha launches India’s first MICE Incentive Portal to attract business events# experiential travel
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