India has made significant progress in its position as a traveler source market to the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s data for Q2 2023.
India is now ranked second (excluding Mexico and Canada) in the list of overseas traveler source markets to the United States. This is an improvement from its third-place ranking during the previous four quarters and its eighth-place ranking in the pre-Covid year of 2019.
The jump is despite a long visa processing backlog and high airfares. Per the U.S. Department of Commerce, more than 150,000 Indians visited the U.S. as of September this year.
Nearly 60% of Indian travelers came to the U.S. for vacation, business or a conference in the first six months of this year, according to the National Travel and Tourism Office. On average, Indian travelers spent $3,500 per trip.
To clear backlogs faster and reduce the visa processing time, Indians were allowed to apply for U.S. tourist visas from the consulates of other countries. Additionally, the visa authorities are reportedly resolving technical problems which create delays in appointments and interview scheduling.
