MICE events shifting to Thailand, Sri Lanka due to 28 per cent GST hike on Indian hotels

A nine-day business conference to be held in September in Kochi, Kerala, has just moved to Sri Lanka, with the organisers coming around to the view that footing the goods & services tax (GST) rate of 28% for the event is way too much than paying taxes in hotels in the neighbouring country.

“With most hotels being close to the national highways in Kerala, business was already hit with the Supreme Court ruling on liqour ban. GST has made the MICE business a national issue and has ..