Maharashtra Tourism Leads Global Conversations On Tourism, MICE And Destination Weddings At WOW Awards Asia 2026

As Maharashtra continues to strengthen its position as one of India's leading destinations for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE), the Department of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra, is actively investing in world-class convention infrastructure, destination promotion, policy support and strategic industry partnerships to attract large-scale business events, international conferences and destination weddings.

Reinforcing this vision, Maharashtra Tourism participated as the Principal Partner at the 17th edition of WOW Awards Asia 2026, held on 3 and 4 July at the Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai. Leveraging one of Asia's largest platforms for the experiential, MICE, live entertainment and wedding industries, the Department showcased Maharashtra's tourism strengths, promoted its convention-ready destinations and engaged with thousands of delegates, exhibitors, buyers and industry leaders from over 25 countries.

Government Leadership Sets the Vision

The convention was inaugurated by Shri Sanjay Khandare, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra, and Shri Mangesh Joshi, IAS, Director, Directorate of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra, in the presence of Ms. Tanuja Pandey, Advisor and Senior Consultant to the Department of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra, Shri Santosh Rokade, Deputy Secretary, Department of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra, Shri Vijay Powar, Deputy Secretary, Department of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra (Acting Managing Director, MTDC during the event), and Shri Santosh Jadhav, Joint Director, Directorate of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra.  

Addressing the gathering, Shri Sanjay Khandare, IAS, highlighted Maharashtra's commitment to strengthening its tourism ecosystem through world-class infrastructure, strategic partnerships and sustainable growth:

"Maharashtra possesses an unmatched combination of world-class infrastructure, rich cultural heritage and strong public-private partnerships. Our vision is to position the state as India's foremost destination for tourism, conventions and global business events while creating sustainable opportunities for growth across the sector."

Driving Conversations on India's MICE Future

A major Day One highlight was the WOW Garage session presented by Maharashtra Tourism, "India's Rise as a Global Meetings Destination: Infrastructure, Ambition & Opportunity." Moderated by Prateek N. Kumar, the discussion featured Anju Gomes, Senior Regional Director – Middle East, ICCA; Mayur Gujar, Senior General Manager, Jio World Convention Centre; Tanuja Pandey, Senior Consultant & Advisor, Maharashtra Tourism and Maharashtra Convention Bureau; and Vijay Sharma, Executive Director, JWC India & Southeast Asia.

The panel explored India's growing prominence in the global MICE industry and Maharashtra's role in driving the country's business events ecosystem.

Maharashtra Tourism Pavilion Showcases the State's Diverse Offerings

Throughout the convention, Maharashtra Tourism maintained a strong presence through extensive venue branding and its dedicated pavilion at the Asia Experiential B2B Expo.

The pavilion showcased Maharashtra's tourism experiences, convention infrastructure, destination wedding venues, luxury hospitality, heritage circuits, coastal tourism and investment opportunities while serving as a platform for networking, destination promotion and business collaborations.

The Maharashtra Tourism Pavilion emerged as one of the convention's key networking destinations, welcoming Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Hon'ble Minister of Culture and Tourism, Government of India; Smt. Himgauri Aher-Adke, Hon'ble Mayor, Nashik Municipal Corporation; and Shri Rajdeep Sardesai, Senior Journalist and Consulting Editor, India Today Group, along with senior officials from the Department of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra.

The pavilion also hosted prominent leaders from the hospitality, tourism and experiential industries, including Deepak Choudhary, Promoter & Curator, WOW Awards Asia; Mohomed Morani, Founder & Managing Director, Cineyug and Dome Entertainment; Nikhil Nair of the Morani Group; Ankur Kalra, Managing Director, Vibgyor Experiential and General Secretary, EEMA; Sushma Gaikwad, Co-founder, ICE Global & Wizcraft MIME; Pramod Gaikwad, CEO & Partner, ICE Global; Puneet Narula, Business Head, Jio World Convention Centre; Rakhee Kankaria, EEMA; Girish Vasudev Kulkarni, Founder, Temple Connect; Rutika Channawar, Founder, Quebetta; Emre Kirazci, representing Bahrain Tourism; Naveli Deshmukh, Youth Ambassador for Maharashtra Tourism, along with destination wedding planners, event organisers, hospitality professionals and international delegates.

The interactions reflected Maharashtra Tourism's commitment to building strategic partnerships and positioning the state as India's preferred destination for MICE, mega events and luxury weddings. 

Celebrating Maharashtra's Cultural Tourism

The convention also spotlighted Maharashtra's cultural and spiritual tourism potential through a keynote by Smt. Himgauri Aher-Adke, Hon'ble Mayor, Nashik Municipal Corporation, who highlighted the significance of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela as one of the world's largest spiritual gatherings and an important driver of tourism for the state.

"The Simhastha Kumbh Mela is not only a celebration of faith but also an opportunity to showcase Nashik and Maharashtra's rich cultural heritage, hospitality and organisational excellence to the world."

The session highlighted Maharashtra's ability to host mega-events while preserving its rich cultural heritage and creating memorable visitor experiences.

Launch of the Maharashtra Convention Bureau

One of the convention's most significant announcements was the launch of the Maharashtra Convention Bureau (MCB) by the Department of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra.

Established as a dedicated institutional platform, the Bureau will spearhead Maharashtra's efforts to attract national and international conventions, exhibitions, corporate meetings and incentive travel programmes. Working closely with convention centres, hotels, airlines, destination management companies and industry associations, it will support global event bids, strengthen destination marketing and position Maharashtra as India's premier MICE destination.  

The Bureau will also promote convention-ready cities including Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and the Konkan region, helping drive business tourism, generate employment, attract investment and contribute to the state's longterm tourism growth.

Positioning Maharashtra on the Global MICE Map

Through strategic policy initiatives, thought leadership, a high-impact exhibition pavilion, the launch of the Maharashtra Convention Bureau and meaningful engagement with stakeholders from over 25 countries, Maharashtra Tourism successfully leveraged WOW Awards Asia 2026 to reinforce its vision of making the state India's leading destination for tourism, conventions, destination weddings and global business events.

Further recognising Maharashtra's leadership in the business events and experiential tourism ecosystem, the Department of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra was honoured with the Best State for MICE, Weddings & Live Events award by Ramesh Patil, Business Head of EVENTFAQS Media at WOW Awards Asia 2026.

The award was received by Shri Mangesh Joshi, IAS, Director, Directorate of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra, on behalf of the Department, acknowledging the state's sustained efforts in developing world-class MICE infrastructure, promoting destination weddings and strengthening its ecosystem for live events and business tourism.

The convention demonstrated Maharashtra's continued commitment to building a globally competitive tourism ecosystem, one that combines world-class infrastructure, rich cultural heritage, strong industry partnerships and forward-looking initiatives to drive the next phase of growth in the tourism and MICE sectors.

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