Once a Dream Destination, US Now Less Attractive for Indians

New Delhi: For the first time in the last eight years, there has been a surprise dip in the number of Indian travellers to the US.

About 11.14 lakh Indians went to the US in 2017, down 5% from 11.72 lakh in the previous year, according to the US department of commerce’s National Travel and Trade Office (NTTO) “forecast of international travellers to the US by origin countries”.

In 2009, during the time of global slowdown, an estimated 5.5 lakh Indians travelled to the US, which was a decline of 8% over the previous year. But since then, Indian visitors were increasing every year till 2016.

However, this trend is only temporary as the NTTO forecast an increase in the number of Indian travellers to the US from 2018 to 2022.

“The fall in numbers in 2017 over 2016 is an aberration caused by unfounded fears,” said a  travel agent.

However, the number of international travellers to the US rose 0.7 % in 2017 compared to the previous year. Growing markets were led by South Korea (+17.8%), Brazil (+11%), Argentina (+10%), Ireland (+9%) and Canada (+4.8 %).”