Launched with much fanfare, most ambitious plans of the tourism department have either flopped or failed to take off. The long list includes plans like wedding tourism, meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) tourism, affordable bus service to tourist spots in adjoining states and providing city cards to visitors for discounts at UT-run restaurants.

Chandigarh tourism department had announced 'Wedding Tourism' in 2007 to give foreign tourists a peek into the Punjabi wedding. Those who wanted to explore and know more about Indian culture were invited to be a part of Indian weddings. The idea was that tourists would no longer need to sneak into wedding processions and take photos on the sly. Foreign tourists, besides locals, could spend around two hours at wedding ceremonies in these hotels. They will be as involved in the ceremonies as the other guests and will be able to mingle with friends and family members for free. Though the scheme exists on paper, it has failed to generate the expected response as per a TOI report. 

In 2009, tourism advisory committee decided to promote the city as MICE industry, providing ideal infrastructure for world class conferences. It was claimed that developing conference halls with all state-of-the-art facilities in upcoming Nehru Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), Sector 34 and at New Lake in Sector 42 were a part of the ambitious plan. However, with work on NCPA stuck midway due to paucity of funds, the project is yet to start.