The number of Indian tourists visiting United States this year is expected to grow by 42 percent, more than four lakh tourists in absolute terms compared to 2014. US department of Commerce in a report said that international visitors who stay one or more nights in the United States will reach a record 77.6 million this year – up more than 3.6 per cent from total visitors in 2014. However, China with a whopping 163 per cent projected growth is expected to lead globally and in the Asia Pacific region followed by Colombia, 54 per cent and India, 42 percent, it said.
Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker speaking at the IPW 2015 luncheon issued the ‘2015 Spring Travel Forecast’ showing America continues to be a premier travel destination and will continue to see strong visitation growth through 2020. She informed that visitors to US spent a record 221 billion US Dollars on travel goods and services last year, supporting 1.1 million total US jobs. According to the current forecast, the United States will see a 3.8 percent to 4.6 per cent annual growth rate in visitor volume during the 2015-2020 time-frame.