US hotels and travel companies are experiencing a boost in revenue thanks to a surge of Indian tourists in 2024. With visitor numbers from China, Japan, and South Korea still below pre-pandemic levels, Indian travelers have stepped in to fill the gap.
Recent data from the US National Trade and Tourism Office (NTTO) shows that nearly 1.9 million Indian tourists visited the US within the first 10 months of 2024. This figure reflects a significant increase of 48% compared to 2019. The growth has been fueled by a sharp rise in business visas, which climbed by 50%, and a 43.5% uptick in leisure travel visas issued during the same period.
Factors like a growing Indian middle class, higher travel budgets, and increased flight capacity have contributed to the boom. In contrast, travel volumes from China, Japan, and South Korea dropped sharply, as East Asian travelers opt for regional trips within Southeast Asia instead of long-haul flights to the US.
Laura Lee Blake, CEO of the Asian-American Hotel Owners Association, noted that Indian travelers are now exploring smaller cities and secondary markets. “Their growing interest in budget and midscale hotels is helping spread recovery across a broader range of destinations,” she said. Some properties are also catering to Indian preferences by offering chai, samosas, and popular Indian TV channels.
Travel firm Viator reported a 50% rise in US bookings made by Indian tourists in 2024, tripling pre-pandemic numbers. Airbnb echoed similar growth, with over a 45% increase in nights booked by Indian travelers in the past three years. Flight capacity between India and the US also rose 42.3% this year, according to OAG Aviation.
“For 2025, I anticipate growth in occupancy rates and revenue, driven by a younger, experience-driven audience from India,” said Grzegorz Kowalski, CEO of Tripoffice.com.
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