India
Indian exhibition industry : the good and the bad
Theo Reilly analyses one of the fastest-growing exhibition industries in the world – India . With a tourism industry that ’ s struggling to compete , do Indian exhibitions just cater to the domestic market ?
F ew countries tell as polarising a story in events as India . On the one hand , India has one of the fastest growing exhibition industries in Asia – bested only by Japan in net square metres sold in 2022 , according to UFI .
On the other hand , India is not seeing much success courting international visitors . The country ’ s tourism industry has declined from 5.8 % of GDP in 2002 to 5.2 % in 2019 . In the first half of 2024 , Dubai ’ s visitor numbers grew by 11 % compared with 2019 . India ’ s fell by 10 %. This
Bharat Mandapam , New Delhi – India ’ s newest exhibition venue lack of visitor confidence affects an international organiser ’ s likelihood to geo-locate their events in India .
Much of India ’ s exhibition success , therefore , is due to the country having the fastestgrowing major economy in the world ( at a 6.7 % growth rate ). With such a rapidly expanding domestic economy , it is no surprise that exhibitions are growing to accommodate the increased demand .
Global giants are also investing heavily in the region . Informa , Messe Frankfurt and RX have all upscaled operations in India to
Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the opening ceremony of the India International Convention and Expo Centre
take advantage of the growing market . Messe München has managed to quadruple its sales in India since 2016 .
Perhaps , then , if India could market itself better to the international community , its exhibition industry would grow to become a dominant global contender . As it stands , there is no major economy in the world that has invested less in tourism promotion abroad . India ’ s total budget for tourism promotion in 2024 , including attending trade shows like World Travel Market and IBTM World , was less than $ 4m – the cost of a single townhouse in Paris .
M . P . Bezbaruah , secretary general of the Hotel Association of India , commended the focus on domestic tourism , but said that much more needs to be done on the international front .
“ The emphasis on domestic tourism is good , including Lakshadweep [ a network of islands ]. However ... on the international front , I still feel we need a lot of promotion and marketing .” So , for organisers , what are the pros and cons of hosting exhibitions in India ?
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