New York City anticipates a 14 per cent increase in Indian visitors this year, reaching approximately 3,83,000 travelers, as it celebrates a 93 per cent recovery from its 2019 record visitation levels. The city saw an influx of 3,36,000 Indian travelers in 2023, according to a statement from New York City Tourism + Conventions.
In 2023, New York City achieved an overall recovery of 93 per cent, welcoming a total of 61.8 million travelers, positioning it on track to host 64.5 million visitors this year, aligning with its pre-pandemic visitation levels.
Highlighting the importance of the Indian market, Makiko Matsuda Healy, Senior Vice President of Tourism Market Development for New York City Tourism + Conventions, expressed her pleasure in returning to India for their annual sales mission.
"We were pleased to be back in India, a rapidly growing feeder market for New York City tourism, for our annual sales mission," she said. Matsuda Healy emphasized their commitment to engaging the Indian travel trade effectively through initiatives like the Travel Trade Academy program, which now includes Hindi subtitles. This addition aims to empower the trade to adeptly respond to evolving consumer demands.
The recent visit to India by the New York City delegation, in collaboration with Turkish Airlines, was part of their annual sales mission conducted from January 29 to February 3 in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Delhi. The mission focused on strengthening ties with the Indian travel industry and positioning New York City as a premier travel destination.
In 2023, the United States processed 1.4 million Indian visas, a record number that resulted in a 75% reduction in visitor visa appointment wait times. With demand soaring across all visa categories and an astounding 60% increase over the previous year, Indians now make up one tenth of all foreign applications for US visas.
"In 2023, the US Embassy and Consulates in India processed a record-smashing 1.4 million US visas. Demand across all visa classes was unprecedented, with a 60 per cent increase in applications compared to 2022. Indians now represent one out of every ten US visa applicants around the world," the US Embassy and Consulates in India said last month.
