{"id":87827,"date":"2026-07-15T19:10:25","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T13:40:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newswireindia.in\/index.php\/2026\/07\/15\/ahead-of-milt-congress-2026-global-industry-leaders-reveal-the-trends-reshaping-mice-and-luxury-travel\/"},"modified":"2026-07-15T19:10:25","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T13:40:25","slug":"ahead-of-milt-congress-2026-global-industry-leaders-reveal-the-trends-reshaping-mice-and-luxury-travel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newswireindia.in\/index.php\/2026\/07\/15\/ahead-of-milt-congress-2026-global-industry-leaders-reveal-the-trends-reshaping-mice-and-luxury-travel\/","title":{"rendered":"Ahead of MILT Congress 2026, Global Industry Leaders Reveal the Trends Reshaping MICE and Luxury Travel"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Panaji (Goa) [India], July 15<\/strong>: As the\u00a013th Annual MICE India & Luxury Travel (MILT) Congress<\/strong>\u00a0prepares to welcome the world\u2019s leading corporate travel buyers, hospitality brands, tourism boards and event professionals to ITC Grand Goa, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa on 23\u201324 July 2026, one message is emerging loud and clear\u2014the future of MICE and luxury travel will be defined by experiences, trust and meaningful partnerships rather than transactions alone.<\/p>\n

With over 150 high-value Indian corporate buyers and 40+ global travel and hospitality brands, the MILT Congress continues to serve as one of the industry\u2019s most influential B2B platforms for discovering the trends shaping tomorrow\u2019s outbound travel landscape from Indian corporates and luxury travelers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ahead of the event, confirmed speakers and partners have shared their perspectives, highlighting five major shifts transforming the industry.<\/p>\n

Destination Experiences with Purpose<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0As destinations evolve to meet the expectations of modern travellers, authenticity, innovation and strategic partnerships are becoming key differentiators.<\/p>\n

Sahl Dudin, Managing Director of Ayla Oasis,\u00a0<\/strong>believes destinations must stand apart through authentic cultural engagement, describing Ayla as \u201ca unique destination offering a diverse range of experiences, enriched by a distinctive blend of local authenticity and cultural engagement.\u201d He further adds \u201cJordan\u2019s rich culture and diversity make it a truly distinctive destination, and we believe Jordanians are uniquely positioned to deliver authentic and meaningful experiences. As a result, we place strong emphasis on the human touch and local authenticity to create memorable journeys that resonate with modern travelers.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Udit Mathur, Deputy General Manager \u2013 Business Promotion, Corporate Planning Division at JTB Asia Pacific Headquarters,\u00a0<\/strong>reflects on the industry\u2019s changing dynamics, noting that \u201cone of the most important shifts we are making is moving from being an execution partner to becoming a strategic solutions provider,\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Emre Aktas, Assistant Director of Sales at Baku Boulevard Hotel Company<\/strong>, observes that \u201cperhaps the biggest shift has been from purchasing a product to investing in an experience,\u201d and\u00a0Elman Mammadov, Head of Business Events at Azerbaijan Tourism Board,<\/strong>\u00a0adds that destinations must combine world-class infrastructure with authentic experiences, positioning Azerbaijan as an ideal choice for the evolving expectations of Indian travellers.<\/p>\n

Experience Over Execution<\/strong><\/p>\n

The industry\u2019s focus has moved beyond delivering seamless events to creating purposeful, personalised experiences that generate measurable business impact.<\/p>\n

Anjali Chugh, Assistant Vice President \u2013 Marketing & Brand Experience at Nuvama Group,\u00a0<\/strong>believes \u201cevery touchpoint today must be more personalised, measurable and aligned with business objectives\u201d, while\u00a0Kaival Patel, Founder & Managing Director of Absolute Group of Companies and Advisory Board Member at MILT Congress,<\/strong>\u00a0says \u201cexperience-led journeys, authenticity and flawless execution have become the new benchmarks of value\u201d.\u00a0Sunil Sharma, Corporate Administrative Support Services Head at Ancalima& BION,\u00a0<\/strong>adds that \u201cmemorable journeys are those that align organisational values with individual experiences, creating stronger engagement\u201d.<\/p>\n

Technology is Enhancing, Not Replacing, Human Experiences<\/strong><\/p>\n

Artificial intelligence and digital innovation are enabling smarter, more personalised journeys while allowing businesses to deliver greater value.<\/p>\n

Santosh Kumar, Regional Head, South Asia at Booking.com<\/strong>, highlights that \u201c82% of Indian travellers now intend to extend business trips for leisure, while 97% plan to use AI during their leisure travel\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Pradeesh David, Assistant Director of Sales at Brennia Kottefaru<\/strong>, highlighted the operational shift, revealing that the Maldives resort is launching a new mobile application under its \u201cTech, AI & Green Initiative.\u201d He added that today\u2019s Indian traveler prioritizes \u201cvalue-driven luxury\u201d and \u201cfast, seamless digital communication\u201d over standard amenities.<\/p>\n

Luxury is Becoming More Meaningful<\/strong><\/p>\n

Luxury is no longer measured by extravagance alone but by authenticity, intention and emotional connection.<\/p>\n

According to Devanshi Patel, Founder of Shreem Events<\/strong>, \u201ctoday\u2019s luxury lies in immersive experiences that feel personal and purposeful\u201d, while\u00a0Kalpesh Bhutta, Founder & Principal Consultant of Harmony Tours<\/strong>, observes that \u201cdiscerning travellers now prioritise memorable experiences before comfort and logistics\u201d.<\/p>\n

Trust is the New Currency<\/strong><\/p>\n

As expectations around safety, transparency and reliability continue to evolve, trust is becoming just as important as exceptional service.<\/p>\n

Rekha Gairola, Director \u2013 Global Safety & Security at Adobe,<\/strong>\u00a0believes \u201cthe industry\u2019s greatest shift is moving from delivering remarkable experiences to delivering trustworthy ones, reinforcing that confidence has become an essential part of the traveller journey\u201d.<\/p>\n

Taken together, these perspectives, spanning corporate travel heads and event professionals to global hospitality brands and destination boards, reflect the central premise on which MILT Congress was built: that India\u2019s MICE and luxury travel buyers are seeking strategic partners capable of delivering innovation, personalisation and long-term value.<\/p>\n

With over 2,000 pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings expected at ITC Grand Goa on 23\u201324 July 2026, the 13th Annual MILT Congress in partnership with Sands Resorts Macao as Platinum Partner and Discover Moscow as Destination Partner continues to position itself as the definitive deal \u2013 making platform where these conversations translate into real business outcomes for MICE and luxury travel.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For more information, please visit\u00a0https:\/\/miltcongress.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

If you object to the content of this press release, please notify us at pr.error.rectification@gmail.com. We will respond and rectify the situation within 24 hours.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Panaji (Goa) [India], July 15: As the\u00a013th Annual MICE India & Luxury Travel (MILT) Congress\u00a0prepares to welcome the world\u2019s leading corporate travel buyers, hospitality brands, tourism boards and event professionals to ITC Grand Goa, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa on 23\u201324 July 2026, one message is emerging loud and clear\u2014the future of MICE and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":87828,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[3],"class_list":["post-87827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-business"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newswireindia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87827","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newswireindia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newswireindia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newswireindia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newswireindia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87827"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newswireindia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87827\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newswireindia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/87828"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newswireindia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newswireindia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newswireindia.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}