Surge in Indian Visitors to the U.S. Predicted

The U.S. government anticipates a significant increase in visitors from India, projecting a remarkable 201% growth by 2029. This surge follows a post-COVID recovery, with Indian travelers expected to exceed pre-pandemic levels by a substantial margin. The National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) highlights that India is now the fourth largest source of inbound travelers to the U.S., with projections indicating that international arrivals will reach nearly 100 million by the end of the decade.

Record Growth in Indian Travel to the U.S.

According to the NTTO, visitation from India has skyrocketed by 552% since 2020, with an estimated 2.2 million Indian visitors expected in 2024. This marks a significant leap from the 1.47 million who traveled to the U.S. in 2019. The report emphasizes that India is one of the fastest-growing markets for U.S. tourism, with arrivals already surpassing pre-pandemic levels by nearly 50% in 2024. The NTTO’s forecast indicates that India will continue to lead in growth among inbound markets, outpacing other countries significantly. The report also notes that while visitation from various Asian countries has improved, nations like China and Japan are still recovering, with arrivals at about half of their pre-pandemic levels. In contrast, South Korea has seen a recovery to approximately 75% of its 2019 figures, showcasing India’s unique position in the current travel landscape.

U.S. Travel Market Overview

The NTTO’s forecast encompasses the top inbound markets for the U.S., including Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, Italy, the UK, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and Brazil. Collectively, these countries accounted for 78% of total international arrivals to the U.S. in 2024. The report categorizes these markets based on their recovery status: India and Italy have already surpassed pre-pandemic levels, while Germany, France, Canada, Brazil, and Mexico are expected to recover by 2026. Other markets, including Australia, China, South Korea, the UK, and Japan, are projected to fully recover by 2027 or later.

Challenges in Travel Growth

Despite the promising growth in Indian travel to the U.S., industry experts caution that the potential remains largely untapped. Two significant barriers are currently hindering further expansion: lengthy visa interview wait times and a limited number of direct flights. As of now, the waiting period for B1/B2 visa interviews varies significantly across Indian cities, with Chennai facing a staggering wait time of 407 days, while Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata report waits of 156, 151, 140, and 114 days, respectively.

The travel industry is hopeful that addressing these challenges will facilitate even greater numbers of Indian travelers to the U.S. In the previous calendar year, Indian visitors to the U.S. reached a record high, surpassing the 1.76 million mark, which exceeded the pre-COVID peak of 1.47 million in 2019. As a result, India has now become the second-largest overseas source of international visitors to the U.S., trailing only the UK.

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