India Shows Big Gains as U.S. Travel Source - India Report

27.06.2024 - 06:57 / skift.com / Joe Biden / Brand / Eric Garcetti / Bulbul Dhawan

Between January and May 2024, India has emerged as the second-largest international source market – not including Canada and Mexico – for tourism in the U.S., according to data released by the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO). 

In May, the U.S. received over 263,000 Indian tourists, a 32% increase from May 2023. During the January-May period, more than 882,000 Indians visited the U.S., a 37% gain. The largest market for the U.S. was the United Kingdom. 

Taking into account arrivals from Canada and Mexico, India was the fourth-largest international source market in the first five months of the year, a statement from NTTO said. 

Preferred Long-Haul Destination: The U.S. is among Indian travelers’ preferred long-haul destinations. According to online travel company MakeMyTrip’s first trend report released in April, New York was among the most searched long-haul destinations by Indians, along with London and Toronto. 

In 2023, 1.7 million Indian tourists visited the U.S., and NTTO is expecting this number to increase to 2 million by 2027. 

“The expected addition of new flights later this year will further make travel to the U.S. even more accessible for Indian travelers,” Brand USA said.

The U.S. is witnessing significant interest from sports fans in India as it is currently co-hosting the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, Brand USA has said in a statement. It is also expecting to attract more Indian sports tourists with upcoming events such as the FIFA World Cup 2026. An earlier Skift report noted that online travel companies are witnessing a surge in sports tourism in India, with a demand increase of more than 20% for sporting events. 

The Issue With Visas: The U.S. Embassy in India earlier this year announced that the visa processing times have been reduced from 1,000 days to about 250 days around the country. However, the appointment wait times vary with each consular office in India and still go over a year at some places. 

The U.S. has said that it is actively working on reducing visa processing times, while increasing travel opportunities and offerings for Indian visitors in order to attract travelers. The North American nation issued a record 1.4 million visas to Indians last year, over 50% of which were tourism/business visitor visas. 

At the Skift India Summit, Eric Garcetti, U.S. Ambassador to India, said that he was specifically asked by U.S. President Joe Biden to work on reducing the backlog of visa applications for Indians. He added that 5 million Indians already have U.S. visas, which are usually valid for a decade. 

Radisson Hotel Group has signed 10 new hotels in India over the course of 4 days. With these signings, the hotel chain is also entering 5 new markets across the