• Dr.J.Geetha Reddy, Minister for Tourism, Culture and I&PR
• Mr.Leigh Harry, President, ICCA
• Mr.Martin Sirk, CEO, ICCA
• Mr.Divesh Chaturvedhi, Addl. Director General, Ministry of Tourism, GOI.
• Mr.Jayesh Ranjan, Prl.Secretary, Tourism

I am very happy to be here to-day and inaugurate this 49th ICCA Congress, the global community for the meetings industry, enabling its members to generate and maintain significant competitive advantage.

This is not only ICCA's first major event to be held in India, but also the first significant meeting to be organized here by any of our industry's international associations.

 On behalf of the Government of India and the people of Andhra Pradesh, I welcome you all to this grand occasion of 49th ICCA Congress being held at this HICC, the country's first world-class standard congress centre inspired India's public and private sectors to start investing big-time in the infrastructure.

I am very happy to note that ICCA was founded in 1963 by a group of travel agents with an aim to evaluate practical ways to get the travel industry involved in the rapidly expanding market of international meetings and to exchange actual information related to their operations in this market.

ICCA now is one of the most prominent organizations in the world of international meetings. It is the only association that comprises a membership representing the main specialists in handling, transporting and accommodating international events with a network of over 900 suppliers to the international meetings industry spans the globe, with members in 86 countries.

 Andhra Pradesh is the happening State in India and making progress in all dimensions.  We have embarked upon promotion of industry, science & Technology, information technology, tourism hospitality and health in a much focused manner.  Especially, we endeavor to make Hyderabad the centre for knowledge driven skill-based and high-value investment in IT & ITES, tourism, hospitality, education, health, and infrastructure industries.  We also aim to make Hyderabad as the global landmark which is vibrant and complete.  Also, we have huge plans for the IT sector, with more IT/ITES SEZs being developed in and around Hyderabad.  Our State has 57 Special Economic Zones, which is the highest in India.

Government of Andhra Pradesh have been making sincere efforts to promote Hyderabad as the best place for holding International Conventions, and we are certain that Hyderabad will emerge as an International Tourism Centre with a congenial environment, likewise good connectivity to the International airport, good roads, good hotel room inventory and the latest infrastructure, that will make Hyderabad the perfect place to hold International Conventions within India.  In the past, I have observed that any major International Convention that comes to India is invariably hosted in Hyderabad.  In the last 5 years, we have got the honour of holding the Board of Governors Meeting of Asian Development Bank, the Indian Science Congress, the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, International Mathematical Congress, International Aeronautical Congress, PATA Travel mart and a number of other similar major International and National Events attended by hundreds of delegates.  Whenever I have interacted with the participating delegates, I have only heard very positive feedback about the facilities that the delegates enjoyed in our City.

We have recently announced the new Tourism Policy which is going to make our State the most preferred investment destination for Tourism Projects in the entire country.  The policy contains a number of incentives for the private sector which is bound to make them take up a number of modern and innovative tourism projects in the State.  I am confident that in the near future, Hyderabad in particular and the State of Andhra Pradesh in general will be talked about very highly for its major tourist attractions and tourist friendly atmosphere.  This will provide a very good opportunity for delegates who come for convention to enjoy our tourism and hospitality as well.

Since olden days, Hyderabad has cast its magical charm on all its tourists, who came on a visit and later became part of Hyderabad.  I hope you will have a great experience of our Indian hospitality in Hyderabad. I request you to re-visit this charming city of Pearls again.

I hope to meet you all again.