India has become the source of most inbound travellers in the US. For the first time in 2022, Asia's highest source of international travellers was India, surpassing traditional countries such as China, South Korea, and Japan, according to tourism consultancy IPK International.
People from India have been travelling abroad more and the US is trying to accommodate the latest tourism boom by opening two new consulates, one each in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. Post Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington the US is pushing to process more visas.
The US tourism sector has taken note. "New markets like India may offset (other countries) and help us grow in the long run," Reuters quoted Geoff Freeman, CEO of the US Travel Association as saying.
The US will open two new consulates in India in the cities of Bengaluru and Ahmedabad, according to a joint statement from President Joe Biden and PM Modi. The leaders directed officials to identify additional mechanisms to facilitate travel for business and tourism.
Until May 2023, Indian travellers to the US surpassed pre-pandemic numbers, according to the US Department of Commerce National Travel and Tourism Office.
“When you think about the power of the Chinese (international) travellers (due to) that rising middle class and wealth creation there, India is going through the same evolution," IHG Hotels and Resorts CEO Keith Barr was quoted as saying by Reuters.
US embassies and consulates in India have issued 44 percent more non-immigrant visas in 2023 compared to the same period in 2019.
Moreover, flight bookings from India to the US for the last quarter of 2023 soared by 26 percent, compared to pre-pandemic levels, which is promising in terms of the outlook for the rest of the year.
One of the main issue Indian travellers faced was the wait time for tourist visas, but with two new embassies opening in India, the wait time would likely be reduced considerably. Tata-owned Indian carrier Air India recently launched non-stop flights from Mumbai to New York and from Bengaluru to San Francisco.
Read More at https://www.cnbctv18.com/travel/indian-travellers-surpass-china-japan-to-become-highest-sources-of-tourist-to-the-us-17126091.htm
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