Industry experts and officials highlighted the untapped potential in the tourism and hospitality sectors between India and the US, emphasizing the need for increased direct flights and faster visa processing to fully unlock growth opportunities. These insights were shared during the 1st Indo-US Tourism & Hospitality Summit organized by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) in New Delhi.
Participants noted that while India and the US enjoy strong bilateral ties and significant travel between the two nations, there is still considerable scope for enhancing the aviation experience and overall tourism exchange.
Speaking at the event, Attorney General of India, R. Venkataramani, underscored the importance of responsible tourism and India’s commitment to fostering global unity through tourism. “India is working towards creating a world of togetherness where mutual respect and equal opportunities guide relationships between countries. Tourism can serve as a key platform to promote this vision, projecting India’s position on the global stage,” Venkataramani stated.
He added, “Tourism is an ideal vehicle to spread goodwill and unity. By weaving these values into our tourism strategies, we can contribute to India’s global journey toward deeper connectivity and harmony.”
Lalit Bhasin, Immediate Past National President of IACC, reflected on his long-standing association with the tourism and hospitality sector, dating back nearly six decades. “Tourism and hospitality have been integral to my professional journey since I began practicing law,” he shared.
During a panel discussion on “Outbound Tourism: India to USA,” Suman Billa, Additional Secretary at the Union Ministry of Tourism, emphasized the robust partnership between the two countries and the need to better harness the growth potential in this space.
“Despite the solid travel numbers, we haven’t fully capitalized on the vast potential for Indo-US tourism. With the continued growth of the Indian economy, the opportunity for outbound tourism expansion is only set to increase,” Billa noted.
The summit concluded with a call for collaborative efforts to enhance the travel experience and facilitate smoother tourism exchanges between India and the US, recognizing that stronger connectivity and simplified visa procedures will play a crucial role in realizing this vision.
“India has been the fastest growing market, and nothing suggests that this growth will slow down. Our strong ties with the US will naturally draw us closer, creating more opportunities for exploration. Tourism should be one of these key pathways to build deeper understanding between the people of India and the United States,” he said.
He pointed out that while a US visa is valid for 10 years, requiring no frequent renewals, the process of obtaining the visa remains cumbersome and time-consuming. He also emphasized the need for more direct flights between India and the US to further ease travel.
Jonathan M. Heimer, Minister Counsellor for Commercial Affairs at the US Commercial Service, acknowledged that visa processing has significantly improved over the past year, leading to record-high visa issuances. “We’ve managed to process 60% more visas with nearly the same resources. Last year, we issued over 1.1 million visas, which is a record for us, and this number is expected to keep rising,” Heimer said.
Addressing the challenges of the visa application process, Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder & Group CEO of MakeMyTrip, suggested introducing short-term visas for tourists as a potential solution. “Several other countries have implemented short-term tourist visas for quicker processing, and this could be a valuable innovation for us too,” he remarked. He also noted that the growth in international tourism does not come at the expense of domestic travel.
Speaking on the recovery of air travel post-Covid, Harvinder Singh, Director of India & Middle East at United Airlines, highlighted that all three major segments of air travel—business, student, and leisure—are now gaining momentum. “We’re seeing strong growth across business, student, and leisure travel segments,” Singh said, while stressing the importance of enhancing customer experience through new technologies and resources.
