US hotels welcome Indian tourist boom to ‘fill the gap’ from lower East Asian demand
This comes amid fewer visitors from China, Japan and South Korea as demand from East Asian nations remains lower than pre-pandemic levels
US hotels and travel companies are aiming to tap a surge in Indian tourists to boost revenue as domestic leisure spending falters and demand from East Asian countries remains below pre-pandemic levels.
Nearly 1.9 million Indian tourists visited the US in the first 10 months of 2024, a nearly 48 per cent rise from 2019, according to data from the US National Trade and Tourism Office (NTTO). The surge was driven by a 50 per cent jump in visas issued for business visits and 43.5 per cent increase for leisure, data showed.
The expanding Indian middle-class population, higher travel budgets and increased flight capacity are also behind the South Asian country’s international travel boom. In contrast, visitor volumes from China, Japan and South Korea dropped 44.5 per cent, 50.8 per cent and 23.9 per cent during the same period, compared with 2019 levels, NTTO data showed.
Wealthy consumers from East Asian countries such as China have been travelling more within the region, especially to destinations in Southeast Asia, avoiding long-haul trips to the United States.
European tourists have been returning to the US but visitation from countries such as the UK, Germany and France has remained below 2019 levels.
