Saloni Bhatia – New Delhi
Brand USA’s fifth annual India Mission was recently held across Mumbai, Bengaluru and New Delhi. The US delegation included representatives from 37 companies including destinations, attractions, hotels and receptive operators – the largest group till date. The mission kicked off with the launch and showcase of Brand USA’s film, America Wild: National Parks Adventure, produced with MacGillivray Freeman Films in association with Brand USA and narrated by Robert Redford, at the PVR Cinemas in Mumbai. The film celebrated the completion of 100 years of the national park service in the US.
The mission provided an opportunity for US suppliers to engage with key decision makers through one-on-one appointments. The invitees included major stakeholders from the Indian travel trade, airline representatives, hospitality representatives and tour operators. Additionally, a dedicated media day was organised in New Delhi with leading travel trade and consumer media to interact with the US partners.
Christopher L Thompson, president and CEO, Brand USA said, “As the number of Indian visitors to the US continues to grow, the opportunities within India as a source market are numerous. In 2015, more than 1.1 million Indians visited the US, a 17 per cent increase over 2014. India will surely be a key contributor toward our goal of welcoming 100 million international visitors by 2021. Year after year, the India Mission provides a great platform for our partners to generate more business from this increasingly productive market.”
Sheema Vohra, managing director, Brand USA – India, added, “Brand USA’s robust travel trade outreach, coupled with effective consumer marketing, co-operative engagements and PR in India ensures new developments and partnerships in this market, offering a bouquet of travel offerings to the discerning Indian visitor. We are thrilled by the great response from the Indian travel trade in all three cities and are confident that this trend will continue over the next decade, providing an excellent opportunity for our Indian travel partners to cultivate lucrative business opportunities with the USA.”