Brand USA concluded its fourth annual India Mission organised for travel trade from September 6-11, 2015. The mission, travelling across three Indian metro cities of Chennai, Mumbai and New Delhi witnessed a good response from Indian travel industry professionals. The US delegations included 43 participants representing 31 US companies including destinations, attractions, hotels and receptive operators.
The mission provided an opportunity for US suppliers to engage with key decision makers through one-to-one appointments with the goal of increasing destination and product knowledge, business cooperation and travel bookings. The invitees included major stakeholders from the Indian travel trade, airline representatives, hospitality representatives and tour operators.
David Whitaker, chief marketing officer, Brand USA said, “As always, India Mission has been a great platform for our partners who want to generate more business from this key market. The growth in all major segments – FIT’s, special interest, group, travel trade and luxury travel provides a huge opportunity for the USA. We will continue to plan focused initiatives to widen our audience reach in India and leverage existing opportunities.”
Sheema Vohra, managing director, Brand USA, India added, “We are thrilled to witness such a great response from the Indian travel trade in all three cities. Every year, during the India Mission, we witness new developments, new partnerships and new opportunities for US participants as well as our Indian travel trade partners. We are confident that this trend will continue over the next decade and the India Travel Mission provides an excellent opportunity for Indian travel partners to cultivate lucrative business opportunities to the USA.”
Brand USA also launched a new Luxury module on the USA Discovery Programme, the online training programme, for agents in India. The luxury module focuses on the luxurious accommodation, dining, spa and ranch experiences that United States has to offer to its travellers. The online training tool enables agents to learn about the diverse destinations and experiences available in the USA and take interactive quizzes.
This year, India Mission included participation from Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau, Gray Line New York Sightseeing, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, Hornblower Cruises & Events, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, Marriott International Inc., Maxim Tours, Nevada Commission on Tourism, NYC & Company, NYC & Co. Partner (Empire State Building Observatory), & NYC & Co. Partner (The Metropolitan Museum of Art), Papillon Helicopters & Scenic Airlines, Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, San Francisco Travel Association, Sans Incredible Vacations, Santa Monica Travel and Tourism, Sawgrass Mills, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Simon Shopping Destinations, Starwood Sales Organisation, The New Tropicana Las Vegas, Tours Limited LLC, Travel Oregon, Universal Orlando Resort, Universal Studios Hollywood, Visit California, Visit Florida, Visit Orlando, 7M Tours and Brand USA.
The USA has witnessed a steady increase in Indian travellers. In 2014, India is ranked 11th amongst the top 20 tourist generating countries for the US with 961,790 arrivals, an increase of 11.9 per cent over the previous year according to the US Department of Commerce. In 2014, Indian visitors also ranked seventh globally in terms of money spent in the US, with a total spend of US$9.6 billion – an increase of seven per cent over the previous year.