Kahini Chakraborty – Mumbai
The India market has started looking at long haul destinations for family vacations, thus catering to this sector has become a priority for Visit Florida. MICE and business travel to Florida has been growing rapidly. Alfredo Gonzalez, vice president of international sales and global development, Visit Florida told Express TravelWorld, “The growing disposable income of Indians is another contributing factor to the increasing leisure travellers from India. 58,000 Indians travelled to Florida in 2014, which is a 21 per cent increase compared to the previous year.”
He added, “In Florida, Orlando remains the favourite destination among Indians followed by Miami. Other destinations that are picking up fast are Tampa Bay and Space Coast, which includes the Kennedy Space Centre. The experiences that they typically engage in include visiting beaches and theme parks. Apart from these, Indians also enjoy shopping and indulging in culinary experiences. Further due to the ease in the issuance of US visa, more and more Indians are now planning their US holiday.” When asked about how is the tourism board looking at working closely with the Indian travel agents, he stated, “We often conduct training sessions for agents along with our own roadshows held across various cities in India. We also work closely with Brand USA by participating at their roadshows as well as travel mission.”