Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and Chandigarh were part of a recently concluded market research study in India by the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board. The study sought to dissect India as a potential market with its distinguished growth amidst global competitors.

To tap into the potential Indian market, the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board (LA Tourism) recently held a consumer focus group in five secondary towns in India, including Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and Chandigarh.

According to a press statement by LA Tourism, the aim behind the mission was to get an in-depth understanding of the Indian travellers, particularly with India being one of the fastest growing markets in the world.

The statement says that the team interacted with key trade partners from Ahmedabad, Chennai and Chandigarh, highlighting new and upcoming developments and events that Los Angeles will be hosting including IPW 2024 and culminating with the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The statement adds that the team from LA Tourism included Don Skeoch, Chief Marketing Officer and Gina Triglia, Director of Tourism insights. They were accompanied by Regional Director, Seema Kadam, and Lakshmi Hariharan, Manager, Global Communications, both based in India.

“The estimated growth in travel from India into Los Angeles is exponential and we are excited to be welcoming a greater number of Indian visitors than ever before. There are so many shared passions between Indians and Angelenos, from the obvious connection between Bollywood and Hollywood, to our shared love of sport, innovative cuisine and street food, and arts and culture,” says Adam Burke, Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board President and CEO.

“LA is proud to be the only destination in the United States to open an office in India and the only DMO to conduct an in-depth market research study across secondary cities in the country. India is the number one emerging market for Los Angeles and the market study sets a strong base for our marketing and strategy plans for the next fiscal year,” says Don Skeoch, Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board Chief Marketing Officer.

The board enlists some of the upcoming events in Los Angeles, including the iconic Hollywood Sign, Warner Bros. Studios, LA Memorial Coliseum and Millennium Biltmore are all celebrating its 100th anniversary. Other highlights include new museums and attractions like Destination Crenshaw, the largest US black art program and Intuit Dome, the new campus for the basketball team LA Clippers, both opening in 2024.