As US tourism struggles to regain its pre-pandemic momentum, the hospitality trade has discovered new hope within the rising variety of Indian travellers. Almost 1.9 million Indians visited the US in 2024, a surge of 48% from 2019, in accordance with knowledge from the US Nationwide Journey and Tourism Workplace (NTTO), reported Reuters. The surge was pushed by a 50 per cent leap in visas issued for enterprise visits and a 43.5 per cent enhance for leisure, knowledge confirmed.
US inns and journey corporations are strategically catering to this burgeoning market. Some properties are additionally introducing particulars which will resonate with Indian travellers – from chai and samosas within the foyer to in style Indian TV channels within the visitor rooms, mentioned Laura Lee Blake, CEO of the Asian American Resort House owners Affiliation, members of which personal 60% of the inns in the US.
The increasing Indian middle-class inhabitants, greater journey budgets and elevated flight capability are additionally behind India’s worldwide journey growth.
In distinction, customer volumes from China, Japan and South Korea dropped 44.5%, 50.8% and 23.9% throughout the identical interval, in contrast with 2019 ranges, NTTO knowledge confirmed.
Rich shoppers from East Asian international locations equivalent to China have been travelling extra throughout the area, particularly to locations in Southeast Asia, avoiding long-haul journeys to the US. European vacationers have been returning to the US however visitation from international locations such because the UK, Germany and France has remained beneath 2019 ranges.
“Indian travellers are stepping as much as fill a part of the hole left by decrease visitation from China, Japan, and South Korea,” added Laura Lee Blake. “Their rising curiosity in exploring smaller cities and secondary markets helps to unfold the restoration throughout a broader vary of locations,” she mentioned, including that they often favor price range and mid-scale inns.
Journey agency Viator, a TripAdvisor model, has mentioned US bookings made by Indian travellers jumped greater than 50% in 2024 and have tripled from pre-pandemic ranges in 2019.
“Over the previous three years, we have seen over a forty five% enhance in nights booked by Indians travelling to the US,” mentioned Dave Stephenson, chief enterprise officer at Airbnb.
With the rising curiosity from Indian vacationers and rising flight capability, the US tourism trade is on monitor for a promising future. As journey preferences evolve, US companies are adapting to satisfy the calls for of youthful, experience-driven travellers from India, guaranteeing continued progress on this important sector.