Hospitality & Tourism Conclave’26 highlights Eastern India’s growing tourism contribution.
The Hospitality & Tourism Conclave 2026, hosted at ITC Fortune Select, Siliguri, concluded with two days of focused discussions on the future of hospitality and tourism in Eastern India. Organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the summit brought hotel owners, founders, senior operators, developers, technology providers and industry players from throughout the country.
The colloquium addressed operational, investment, and scaling issues with a focus on region specific discussions. Across panels and keynotes, speakers stressed that Eastern India’s tourism growth will be driven by long-term thinking, local context and collaborative ecosystems rather than quick, imitation-led expansion.
A central voice throughout the conclave was Sumit Mitruka, Founder and CEO of Summit Hotels & Resorts and Chairman of the Hospitality & Tourism Committee at ICC. Through his keynote talk and moderation of various sessions, Mitruka centred debates around sustainable hotel development, the relevance of regional identity, and the necessity for owners, brands and solution providers to collaborate in tandem.
Harsh Berlia, Chairman, ICC North Bengal, stated, “The ICC North Bengal Tourism and Hospitality Conclave 2026 saw a confluence of speakers from across the industry, coming together from around the country. This confirms our belief that this area has one of the fastest-growing hospitality markets. It was encouraging to see both brand owners and hotel owners actively interact through panels, meetings and site visits on the sidelines. We are hoping that several discussions will materialise into ongoing deals, and we look forward to an even larger meeting next year.”
One of the workshops, “From the East to the Nation: Building Scalable, Iconic Hospitality Brands,” investigated how regional firms may develop without losing their essential identity. Speakers underlined the hazards of following metro-driven templates and stressed the need of establishing brands anchored in local culture, demand patterns and operating realities.
The conclave also featured keynote addresses by industry leaders such as Harshavardhan Neotia, Chairman of Ambuja Neotia Group, who spoke on institution-building and responsible tourism development, and Vikram Challur, Senior Vice President at MakeMyTrip, who shared insights on travel demand, distribution and evolving guest behaviour. Other talks examined direct reservations and digital funnels, hospitality technologies and AI, design-led ROI, marketing storytelling and new-age hospitality formats.
The two-day conclave saw participation from a cross-section of hospitality leaders and founders, including representatives from Summit Hotels & Resorts, Mayfair Hotels & Resorts, Radisson Hotel Group, Lemon Tree Hotels, Fortune Park Hotels, The Postcard Hotel, Elivaas, The Hosteller, Ambuja Neotia Group, Club Mahindra, Ascott, MakeMyTrip, Simplotel, Djubo, BookingJini, Yanolja Cloud Solution and Colliers, among others.
A common sentiment emerged at the end of the Hospitality & Tourism Conclave 2026: cooperation, realism, and a clear awareness of regional capabilities are shaping Eastern India’s hospitality tale as it enters a more certain, mature phase.
