‘MICE’ tourism policy of Gujarat 

Why in News:  

Gujarat CM has announced the tourism policy for 2021-25. It seeks to make Gujarat a hub of “MICE” tourism. 

What is MICE Tourism?  

• The “MICE” is an acronym that stands for “Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions”. It is a version of business tourism that draws domestic and international business tourists to a destination. 

What are the salient features of MICE tourism policy? 

• International Events: Policy has announced an assistance of Rs 5,000 to the event organiser per overnight stay of foreign participant. Incentives are subject to an upper limit of Rs 5 lakh. 
• Domestic Events: For domestic events, the policy promises financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh per event, capped at three events per organiser per year. 

• Big Convention Centres: The policy promises 15% capital subsidy on the eligible capital investment for building big convention centers. Centers are required to organize big national and international conferences. 
• Land on Lease: The policy also promises land on lease, if required. A precondition to avail the incentive is that the convention centre should have at least one hall that can seat a minimum of 2,500 persons. 

Which tourist attractions is the policy promoting? 

Some of the tourist attractions are: 

• Statue of Unity, the world’s tallest statue 
• Gir, the only home of the Asiatic lion; 
• Girnar ropeway, Asia’s longest;  
• Ahmedabad, the first UNESCO World Heritage City in India;  
• Lothal, the earliest known dock in the world, and India’s first port city;  
• Dholavira, a showcase of the urban civilisation of the Indus Valley;  
• Shivrajpur, one of India’s ‘Blue Flag’ beaches; and  
• India’s first seaplane service from the Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad to the Statue of Unity in Kevadia. 

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