Travel VISAs have been on the rise for the United States and the same is being reflected on the kind of sales that the country has been experiencing. If you had the notion that Indians went to just explore around, you are mistaken. Indian travelers purchase and contribute to the economy there.

Jason Pacheco, who is the Global Trade Development Consultant for Brand USA which is a reputed marketing organization in the United States suggested that Indian travelers are important for the US economy. He has been in the travel and tourism industry for over 25 years now and is responsible for overlooking the global trade strategy for India.

If the statistics are to be believed, in between the time frame of January to May this year, around 606,841 Indians travelled to the United States on a travel VISA. The numbers are 4.04% more than what it was last year. Among that, 42% of the travelers are families with children below the age cohort of 18 years and 28% of them are solo travelers.

In a chat conducted with Telegraph India, Jason Pacheco opens up about the importance of Indian travelers for the economy of the United States. He also shed some light on the changing nature of the Indian travelers as well.

He was asked a few questions which he then went on to answer to provide with a better understanding of the trade relations around the two countries.

When asked how important the India is as a market to them, Pacheco said that India has always been a very important market for them. Given the new budding relationships between PM Narendra Modi and President Trump, the same is opening up better relationships and partnerships between India and US.

As the prospect of the commerce with India increases, he believed that the travel will increase as well. Pacheco believes that new opportunities are all set to open up pretty soon. The number of Indian travelers is increasing every year and they expect that the numbers will go up to 1.9 million by 2023. He further provided figures saying that the Indian tourists are the number 10 in travel and the number 5 in terms of spending.

Pacheco was further asked about the travel sectors that he is targeting. He said that things have changed over time. While people before looked up flights to US to visit their friends and families, things are changing up now. They are visiting to get a vacation and a break which is pretty amazing. He suggests that the 10 year multiple entry VISA really does come handy.

As the one managing the Indian travelers, he wants the travelers to come multiple times in these 10 years time. Things are changing, so it is important that they target the travelers to different parts around in the US rather than them being stuck in a specific portion only. It is not just the travelers, there are several Indian students who have family visiting who then travel around US to explore the place with their kids.

When asked how the Indian travelling prospects have changed over the course of years, Pacheco said that the visiting family and friends aspect have changed by a lot. While people travelling before came to visit and then stay with their friends and family and spend time with them, the same has changed now.

The Indian travelers who visit now tend to stay for a few days and then go around and explore the different parts of the state they are in. They take up the necessary recommendation and hit the roads to explore the place around. This wasn’t a very common thing back in the days. This contributes to the regional travel pick up, he says.

In addition to that, the driving holidays are also increasing, meaning that people are preferring to go out on road trips rather than staying localized in a spot. This has spiked up the rental car business because that is a booming trend now.

Since Indians love nature and explore natural places, the national parks and the nature related spots around US is also gaining a booming momentum. Unlike before, the Indian travelers are actually stepping out of the house and the place around and exploring the state that they are visiting.

To help the Indian travelers gauge a better holiday or visit, Pacheco was asked if he wanted to share some insights. He suggested that one check out the food journey through the country. It is not just the place, the Michelin star restaurants are too good to miss out on. Try out these spots and even the bout of street food as well as the food trucks and the farm food experiences that the country has to offer.

By Somapika Dutta