India is the 5th largest source of tourists for US
Brand USA hosted the 10th Sales and Media Mission to India. During the 5-day mission, over 40 U.S. partners participated in over 1,500 trade and media appointments. The 2024 Brand USA India Sales & Media Mission provided a platform for U.S. partners to connect and engage with key travel trade and media, at The Westin Goa, in India from 21-25 January 2024. The event facilitated dynamic interactions between the U.S. partners and India’s vibrant travel market. The USA remains the top choice for Indian long-haul travelers.
The 10th edition of the Brand USA India Sales and Media Mission featured two dynamic tracks – the Trade Track and the inaugural Media Track. This event provided a valuable platform for U.S. Destinations, Attractions, and DMCs to showcase their offerings to trade buyers and media through pre-scheduled meetings, all under one roof.
India’s growing middle class and young travelers are making India the fifth largest source market to the US. Indian Tourists spend more than other international travellers and accounted for a significant share of the $173.9 billion spent by international tourists in the United States.
A growing affluent middle class and younger intrepid Indian travelling to the US have made India the fifth largest source for tourism to the United States, projected to grow at 30% in 2024 Brand USA’s chief marketing officer Staci Mellman told Travel Span in an exclusive.
Indian Tourists spend significantly more on an average than any other international travellers to the US, accounting for a significant share of the $173.9 billion that international tourists spend on travel and tourism related goods and services while travelling to the US.
In 2023, the US received 1.7 million Indian visitors. There is a lot more interest exploring the landscape beyond the gateway and Indian travellers also spent significantly more on average than other international travellers, she added.
The nearly 30% increase in spending in the period January to October 2023 as compared to the year before coincides with the easing of delays in processing visas, improved flight connectivity and a wider cross section of tourism product offerings, including culinary, sports,transformational and adventure activities.
In 2023 1.2 million new visas were issued to Indians travelling to the US.
Jackie Ennis, vice president, global travel trade, Brand USA said Indian travellers want to explore destinations beyond New York, Washington, or Niagara Falls. There is demand for products like National Parks and self-drive tours . Secondly, From an Indian point of view, we are actually very pleased with the air connectivity. We have such great non -stop direct routes and connectivity and some new flights on Air India.
We are only hopeful that it will increase even this year with the purchase of the new planes. We also have India to the US connectivity through Europe and through the Middle East and through the pacific. We value all of the segments from India – students are important obviously for educational establishments because they generate the family and friends visiting. It’s usually the leisure travellers (VFR) and also the increase in business travelers, FITs, luxury and lifestyle experiences, which are all really important segments.
The Mission went beyond mere business transactions; it’s a space where the U.S. and Indian travel industries converged to discuss trends, challenges, innovations, and opportunities. “Together, we aspire to drive incremental future visitation to, through, and beyond the gateway cities in the USA from the thriving Indian market”said Sheema Vohra, managing director Sartha Global Marketing.
Key Findings
India’s travel recovery has been phenomenal post Covid. Indian arrivals to the USA were 815,653 arrivals between January-June 2023 compared to 779,723 during the same period in 2019.
India is and will remain, the fastest-growing major economy in the next three years, with a growth rate of 6.7% per S&P Global Ratings. The rapid expansion of India’s middle class and an increase in disposable income have led to a surge in outbound travel.
As of June 2023, there are 5 million U.S. tourist visa holdings in India. This represents a significant demographic, particularly noteworthy due to the prevalent trend of recurrent USA visits.
India is experiencing major growth in air connectivity both directly, including new routes with Air India, United Airlines, and American Airlines, and also one-stop via the Middle East, Europe, and the Pacific.
The Indian media and entertainment industry is booming and is expected to reach a value of U.S.$73.6bn by 2027 (PwC Report on Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2023 – 2027).
