The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : State to showcase Hyderabad at PATA

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Sep 14, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

State to showcase Hyderabad at PATA

M.L. Melly Maitreyi

Pacific Asia Travel Association Travel Mart-2008 from September 16

‘Visit Hyderabad Society’ to be constituted
Ernst & Young to promote medical tourism

HYDERABAD: With the who’s who of travel and tourism industry from across the globe congregating in Hyderabad for the prestigious Pacific Asia Travel Association Travel Mart-2008 starting from September16, steps are afoot to promote Hyderabad as the preferred destination for global conferences and medical tourism centre.

For the first time, the government will unveil plans for Hyderabad on the global platform during PATA event.

In what is said as a unique initiative, exclusive societies are being formed with a Hyderabad-centric approach to promote it as the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) destination and as a medical tourism centre.

‘Society’

Work has already begun to constitute by December a ‘Visit Hyderabad Society’ with a five-member core group from government and private sector stakeholders.

With 18 stakeholders coming together, the society will provide clients a single platform to negotiate with various service providers to choose Hyderabad as their preferred destination, APTDC Managing Director Jayesh Ranjan told The Hindu.

Hyderabad has several advantages like a modern international airport at Shamshabad, world class convention centres, star hotels and resorts – all of which enable the twin cities emerge as the perfect MICE destination.

Those connected with tourism are convinced that Hyderabad could attract clients who mostly prefer North Indian cities provided concerted efforts are made, Mr. Ranjan said.

But the drawback is that the government, on one side, and private service providers market their facilities through their own networks. ‘Visit Hyderabad Society’ will help all the stakeholders to harness their strengths and promote the city more effectively under one umbrella organisation, Mr. Ranjan said.

Strength

Another strength of Hyderabad lies in its reputed super speciality corporate hospitals and medicare that is less expensive than in the West.

An effort is on to form a separate society for promoting medical tourism and Ernst & Young, a consultant is engaged to develop the framework. Various hospitals that meet accepted standards will be empanelled. The constitution of the two societies will be made during the PATA event.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh