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

Skift Take

Driven by an increase in spending power, Indians are traveling to the U.S. in huge numbers. Gains are further boosted by major sporting events held in the U.S., as Indian sports fans are willing to travel far for events.

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 Signs 10 New Hotels in India 

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 country. 

Among the signings are three conversions under the Radisson Individuals brand. The company has also signed India’s first cricket stadium hotel, Radisson said – a Radisson Blu hotel in Rajasthan. Apart from this, two Radisson branded hotels have been signed in Madhya Pradesh and Punjab. 

India is a key growth market for the hotel chain, said executive vice president Elie Younes in a statement. 

In an earlier interview with Skift, Younes had said, ““India has seen significant economic growth over the past few decades, leading to an increase in disposable income and a growing appetite for luxury lifestyle experiences. We recognize the immense potential of this flourishing market.”

The group recently debuted its luxury Radisson Collection brand in India and is looking to have 15 Radisson Collection hotels in India in the next 5-7 years.

Adani to Invest $21 Billion in Airports Business Over 10 Years

Adani Enterprises is planning to invest around INR 1,750 billion ($21 billion) in its airport business over the next decade. The investment will be managed by the conglomerate’s airports arm – Adani Airports Holdings – which operates 7 airports across the country. 

This is a significant upstep from the group’s earlier plan of investing INR 600 billion ($7.25 billion) over the next 5 to 10 years. 

Adani group is currently working on the city-side development at Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, and Guwahati airports, and is looking to increase its revenue from the non-aero segments. 

India Allows Visa-Free Entry to Thai Tourists: Reports

India has decided to reciprocate Thailand’s visa exemption to Indian travelers. Effective July 1, Thai travelers would be able to enter India visa free for 6 months, according to media reports. The arrangement could be made permanent eventually. 

Last month, Thailand extended its visa-free arrival arrangement for Indian travelers till November 11. The extension granted Indian travelers another 6 months of visa-free travel beyond the initial last date of the arrangement – May 10, 2024.

Currently, passport holders of Maldives are allowed to enter India visa-free. Moreover, citizens of Nepal and Bhutan do not require visas to visit India, unless they are entering from China.

Meghalaya Tourism Promotion Body Partners With BookingJini

Meghalaya government’s tourism promotion and development body Meghalayan Age Limited has collaborated with hospitality saas platform BookingJini. 

Through the partnership, Meghalayan Age Limited aims to leverage BookingJini’s technology solutions to simplify reservation processes in the state’s hospitality sector. 

The state’s tourism industry was estimated to be around INR 16 billion ($191.5 million). Last year, a state official said that Meghalaya is expecting the industry to grow to INR 120 billion ($1.4 billion) by 2028. It is also looking to increase its annual footfall of tourists to 2 million. 

IHCL Signs Taj Hotel in Kanpur

Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) has signed a Taj hotel in Kanpur. With the addition of the 150-key hotel to its portfolio, the company has 13 operational hotels in the state of Uttar Pradesh and another 13 under development. 

IHCL CEO Puneet Chhatwal said that the city of Kanpur has been recently included in India’s smart cities and has been undergoing infrastructural advancements. This is leading to a growth in its hospitality landscape. 

The company is also looking at Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities to grow its portfolio, for which it has brought back its Gateway brand. IHCL has a portfolio of 322 properties, of which 100 are under development.