From Washington DC and Philadelphia to Los Angeles and San Francisco, for most destinations within the United States, there has been a record growth in the number of visitors from India, which is the only source market to have not only matched the pre-pandemic peaks, but also left them far behind in many cases.

And hence, it was no surprise that India was the flavour of the season at IPW2024, the leading inbound travel show in the US, that is organised by US Travel Association and was hosted by Los Angeles in early May.

Geoff Freeman

Geoff Freeman, President and CEO, USTA lays out the ground for the vital importance that India as a market has for the US and which was reflected in the IPW as well. “The participation by the Indian market has been fantastic as the number of buyers from India has risen by 25 pc this year, compared to last year and this exceeds the show growth of about 20 pc. So we are thrilled to see this type of investment by the Indian travel community,’’ Freeman told India Outbound on the sidelines of the show.

Sheema Vohra

Sheema Vohra, Managing Director, Sartha Global Marketing, and IAC Chair- India, Nepal and Sri Lanka for IPW, backed up Freeman’s view that India was a focus country at IPW.

“IPW is always very exciting and I think every year it just tends to get better. And this year is no different. It has been a fantastic venue. They have done a great job of all the events that have happened during IPW. Yes, there is a big focus on India and it has got to do with the arrival numbers that India is showing,’’ Vohra, who was leading the large delegation from India to Los Angeles, told India Outbound.

“India is one of the fastest growing markets for the US and what is very interesting with the Indian market for the US and its suppliers is the fact that the Indians today are going beyond the gateways. They are wanting to explore, they are wanting to go ahead and look at some of the gems that the United States has to offer. And the US certainly has everything that they want to do. Whether it is outdoor, or going in for wellness, looking for luxury vacations or even a fantastic road trip. The kind of vistas that the US offers, nobody else does. So it is very exciting for us,’’ Vohra added.

Indian travel trade impressed by IPW

The quality and diversity of meetings at IPW, along with the overall organisation of the event, left the Indian travel trade duly impressed. Most agents felt that they could have done many more meetings had they had more time at hand, but nonetheless they were highly satisfied with both the quality and the variety of meetings that they had, both for the first-time participants and old-hands.

Rajesh Kakade

“IPW always has something new to offer. It has always been good for potential business meetings as you meet the decisionmakers which helps you close deals in the meeting itself. In IPW 2024 I met a few new partners with new products and we have started working with them to develop destinations and products,’’ Rajesh Kakade, Founder and Global Director, Red Carpet Travels, a Mumbai-based travel firm, tells India Outbound.

The quality and diversity of meetings at IPW, along with the overall organisation of the event, left the Indian travel trade duly impressed

Other Indian agents at the show also agree about the importance of attending IPW. “Getting to know new destinations and new attraction along with more information on the US as each passing year there is something new, knowledge to gain and IPW 2024 had many different perspectives about tourism industry,’’ Foram Shah, Founder & Director, Foram Worldwide Hospitality, tells India Outbound.

Foram Shah

Aseem Hattangadi, Founder of Mumbai-based travel firm, The Travel Therapist, for whom this was the first IPW, says he found the platform to be so enriching and so full of good potential business meetings that he could have done many more, had there been more time.

Aseem Hattangadi

“Honestly, even though I had registered for my appointments based on importance for my business and destinations that I would like to promote, the plethora of stalls by state tourism boards, several cities and experiences made me wish that I could meet all of them as all of them have something unique to offer,’’ Hattangadi tells India Outbound.

Ratna Shah, Business Development Manager, Flamingo Transworld, a travel firm based in Ahmedabad, says that there has been a lot of learning at IPW, where it is not just the Indian travel agents that get to know new things, but even the Americans learn about their Indian customers. She says she sees these changes in events like IPW.

“Ten years ago we needed to explain to people what the Indian market was all about. But now they all know what is Indian market and they are there. They are really ready to go the extra mile to understand what is Jain food and what is vegetarian food, in order to make the experience better,’’ Shah tells India Outbound.

The participation by the Indian market risen by 25 pc this year

Reflecting the growing importance of Tier II and Tier III cities as source markets for the US, Brand USA had invited agents from even smaller cities to attend IPW. One of them was Saurabh Vyas, Managing Partner of Vyas Travel Services that is based in Raipur, the capital of central Indian state Chhattisgarh. Vyas says that participating in IPW was a very enriching experience for him.

Saurabh Vyas

“I have interacted with many new tourism boards and have got to know about new products. And I have enhanced my knowledge about destination US. Raipur is a very small place in comparison to the metropolitan cities, but it has a lot of potential. We have high end individual customers and they all love to travel. Also, before Covid-19, they used to do one trip per year, but now they are ready to do 2 or 3 trips in a year as long as the destination is new to them. We don’t have any international connectivity directly from Raipur, so people have to go to Delhi, either Mumbai or Bengaluru, to take international flights,’’ Vyas tells India Outbound.

“Despite the fact that not many of the sellers here know about Raipur, but they are giving us very good attention and a very good briefing about their destination. They also realise that not just the metros, but even Tier II or Tier III cities in India are important for United States,’’ he adds.

New destinations, experiences in high demand

For most Indian travel agents attending IPW 2024, one of the most important tasks and indeed the reasons to attend the show was to discover as many new experiences and destinations as possible, since back home, their clients are demanding these.

“Post-pandemic travel patterns to the USA started changing, partly also due to visa challenges and now people have started requesting or selecting customised tours and not just run of the mill tours. Families have started exploring new locations and places, while the Millennials prefer exciting and adventurous locations. Couples, for their part, started exploring campervan and glamping options, and the mature travellers started requesting National Parks and northern Alaska,’’ says Kakade of Red Carpet Travels.

“We get to know about a lot of new destinations because the US visa is valid for 10 years so it is not like people are coming only once, they come here multiple times. So they explore new regions and destinations. For example even here in California, there is so much more than Los Angeles and San Francisco. You can also go to smaller destinations like Monterrey, the Napa Valley or the Lake Tahoe. A lot of people are trying to explore new places. So originally we used to do like seven or eight nights. Now people are preferring 10 or 12 nights and that is only in California. So you can imagine how much there is to be explored across the entire US,’’ says Shah of Flamingo Transworld.

Anshu Tejuja

Anshu Tejuja, Managing Director, Ashoka Dream Holiday, a Mumbai-based agency, is pleased about her experience at IPW.

“IPW 2024 has been a great experience. I never expected that I would get to meet so many people from so many regions and state. I feel that the Indian market is very concentrated towards West Coast. But when you deep dive into the US, it has got much more to offer. And I am glad I got to meet so many people,” Tejuja tells India Outbound.

“Basically the demand that the Indian clients have is all about service. Definitely food is number one, but people are alright as long as there is good edible vegetarian food available, they are open to trying different cuisines and it is not just about Indian food. Here in the US, some regions have already understood the demands of Indian market and are catering to it, some others still have to work on it,’’ she adds.

For Nagasri Shashidhar, Chief Happiness Officer of Mumbai based agency, Nagsri, IPW2024 was her fourth time at this key event. She says that more than how the event has changed, what is important for her is how her clients have changed.

Nagasri Shashidhar

“I think more than the changes to the event, it is more about how I adapt to the changes of my clients, in terms of what kind of products are there for our clients and as Indian clients have really evolved, attending platforms like IPW becomes important as it showcases the whole country and the variety of the products and experiences. So for me, coming to IPW is all about a place and a platform where I scout out new experiences for my clients so that I can package that together and go back and offer that to them,’’ Shashidhar tells India Outbound.

“The US is a very popular destination for Indians and now the Indian clients are looking at adventure or self-drive, they are also looking at national parks, at culinary journeys and wine tasting. So, they are looking at so much more which this country really has to offer as well. For example, everybody goes to San Francisco, but not many people really know that there is a place called Berkeley where one can stay and explore. So for me, places like Berkeley, places like LBJ Place, which is an hour from Atlanta, places like New Orleans are important as they are not on the list of most visitors,’’ she adds.

One of the most important aspects of IPW are the familiarisation trips that are organised as part of the programme as these let the travel trade professionals get the experience of a new destination or attraction which is vital in helping them sell it to their customers, in turn. Hattangadi of Travel Therapist says he himself discovered some of the amazing experiences that California has to offer to visitors.

“During our post IPW FAM trip, I discovered that California in itself is such a beautiful and bountiful state with so much to offer especially in terms of nature, a stunning coastline, great road-trip experiences, gastronomy and happenings that go way beyond the ‘usual suspects’. The zip-lining at Highline Adventures, Saint Ynez Valley, the Humvee off roading at Oceano Dunes, Pismo Beach, the oyster and wine combination at Morro Bay Oyster Company and all the activities at Ventura County were absolutely spectacular! Clients who would love to indulge in slow travel should look at exploring California for a week to 10 days and it will be worth their while!’’ he says.

With the growth in demand for travel from India to the US not showing any signs of peaking, the two sides – the sellers from the United States and the Indian buyers would have a lot of pleasant tales to exchange and to transact even more business when they meet in Chicago on June 14, 2025 for IPW 2025.