The United States has seen a significant increase in the number of Indian tourists visiting the country, with almost 1.9 million arrivals in the first 10 months of 2024, surpassing the total for the entire year of 2023. Indians are issued nearly 80,000 business/tourist visas each month, making India the second largest overseas travel source market for the U.S. Despite these numbers, one of the major challenges for Indian travelers is the lengthy visa processing time, which has been reduced from over 1,000 days during the peak of the pandemic to 250 days currently. To address this issue, the U.S. Mission in India has opened new facilities and announced additional visa appointments for faster processing.
Indian travelers are being targeted by the U.S. for several reasons, including their increasing travel and spending habits. In the 2024 fiscal year, Indians spent $31.7 billion overseas, with $17 billion spent on international travel. Indian tourists are among the top international spenders in various destinations, and it is projected that India could become the fourth-largest global travel spender by 2030. Along with the U.S., other countries and companies are also recognizing the potential of Indian travelers. Singapore has seen a 12% increase in Indian visitors, making India the third-largest source market for the country. Accor CEO Sebastien Bazin noted that the potential for Indian outbound travelers could double in the near future, with 40 million Indian travelers possibly reaching 80 million within a year or two.
The importance of Indian tourists is not limited to the U.S. and Southeast Asia. Wynn Resorts CEO Craig Scott Billings highlighted India’s significance to the company’s upcoming resort in the UAE’s Ras Al Khaimah, stating that there is a lot of wealth in India and it is a crucial market for the resort. Saudi Arabia has also launched its first-ever marketing campaign targeted exclusively at Indian tourists as part of its Vision 2030 plan to diversify the economy. With a goal of attracting 150 million tourists by 2030, Saudi aims to bring in 7.5 million visitors from India alone. This highlights the growing importance of Indian travelers on a global scale and the efforts being made to attract them to various destinations.
These developments indicate the potential for further growth in Indian outbound travel and the significant impact it could have on economies worldwide. The increasing number of Indians traveling abroad and their substantial spending on international travel is a clear indication of the growing influence of Indian tourists in the global tourism industry. With the focus on reducing visa processing times and attracting Indian travelers to diverse destinations, countries and companies are recognizing the immense potential of this market. By addressing the challenges faced by Indian travelers and capitalizing on their increasing travel and spending habits, various destinations are positioning themselves to benefit from the growing trend of Indian outbound travel.
